Selected Letters of Friedrich Nietzsche

378 Pages·1921·6.568 MB·English

by  Friedrich Nietzsche, Oscar Levy

SELECTED LETTERS
OF
F.,RDIREICHN IETZSCHE
EDITED:W,I THA PREFADCYE ,
DR.O SCARL EVY
AUTHORIZED TRANSLATION
BY
ANTHONY M. LUDOVICI
GARDEN CITY,N .Y.,A ND TORONTO
DOUBLEDAY,P AGE & COMPANY
1921
6t
c YRIGHT, 192B1Y ,
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
ALL RIGHTS RESER VED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION
INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES, INCLUDING THE BqANDINAVIAN
PRINTEADT O ABDEN CITY, N.Y0.., B. A.
Fin! Edition
IDS
PREFACE
T volumoef F riedriNcihe tzschep'rsi vate
correspondceonncsei sotfs a selectiforno m
thefi ve-voluemdei tipounb lisihneG de rmany
betweent hey ear1s9 00-19P0r9i.v alteet tearrsen ow
recognizeda llt hew orlodv era sa mosti mportant
supplementtarrayit toa literary man's rep­ortrait,
vealiansgt heyd ot hem oreh omelayn di ntimastied e
ofa na uthorm'isn da ndc haractTehr.es peciaaln d
additiovnaalluo ef N ietzscphrei'vsa ctoer respondence
consiisntt sh itsh,a hte rwee h avea writoefrt hem ost
forbiddaisnpgec ta, propheotf a lmosstu perhuman
inspiraat hieornm,i itn habitai dnegs eorfti cyg laciers,
comindgo wn,s ot os ayt,o t hei nhabivtaeldl etyot, h e
familpilaari wnh,e rhee a ssumeas h umanf orma nda
humans peechw,h erhee e xhibai thsu manh earatn da
humans ympathyH.e whos tidlolu btetdh abte hind
Nietzscvhieo'lse dnetn unciaotfih oinsa get herwea s
ana rdenlto voef h umaniatnyd a ne agernteosp sr omote
itt oa nobleDre stinhye;w hos tillolo keads kanacet
a thinkwehro sei deawse ret hrowonu th otlayn d
abruptlliyks et onaensd l avoau to fa nac tivveo lcano
-allt hes keptiicnss h,o ratb,o uNti etzschase w,e lasl
allh ise nemiewsi,l ble interesttoes dee fromt hese
letttehrastt h ere awnaost hNeire tzscahN ei,e tzsche who
was ag ood frienadd e,v otseodn a,n a ffectionbartoet her,
anda generoeunse mys,u cha st hel iterhairsyt oorfy
the worlwdi thi tqsu arrealnsdj ealousiesh asn ot had
v
VI PREFACE
theg ooldu tcoke ncoufnoatrl en orgt imTeh.fe r iends
ofN ietzschNe-iaentdzh sacmsha en fyr ieinnad lls
cilmeasn adm onagllsr ta ceslb- ewd ieillghtteosd e e
thehierri ont hlegi hotft. h eoiwrnw ishaenisdm agina­
tiownhsei,t l heen emoiNfei se tzschhe-esa tlnhi dal .S
manayn bdy nom eanusn woretnheym ielsb -ew il
bountdoc onfwehsatsthL eu theraCno Pelarcsuost no­r
fessienhd iL si foeft hPeh ilosopher "SHpien oza:
mayh avbee ea nm ano fn os troircttoh yxoa dndan
atheiinstttoh bea rgabiunti, nt hceo ndoufchis t
lihfewe a wsi saeng do od."
Theraert ew oo thleerg ewnhdisct hhp ebu ilcation
oft helseet tweilrls su ccelsydse fsutlrOonyec. o n­
certnhseg reaantd o ftevne nattielqdu estoifo n
Nietzsmcehnet'casol n diatnidro ens pboiinltsyIi.t
habse efnr equsetnattlteyhd ah ti s bfirneadalok wn,
whioccchu rrien18d 8 8a,n dw hilcshat etdlih lidse ath
in1 900w, asf oreshaidnho iwwser di tlinnogga sg o,
antdh ahti" si nsanwiattsyh a"ec taunaodln yle cxuse
fotrh peh oislophhearu'gsch otnyt efmoaprnt bd ii lous
critiocfhi iscsmo ntempoBruatwr hieersie.nt, h e
ligohftt h elsteet eirtssh ,ie n sanTihtayNt?i etzsche's
nervsoyusst weamns o ats p erfybe acaltnlcaesdt hat
ofa boexro rc riectkemra yb etr uylc oncewdheadt;
grewarti twearse xemfprto fmai inlgosft hflee sh?
Whagtr eaautt hhoarns o pta iwdi thhi nse rvfeosr
thomsoem enotfhs a ppiyn spiraantdii notinoc xation
whigcahv heib se swto rtkop oster"iLatN ye?v rose
eslat r anr;doug ne nie(.""N ervoiusts hnpeee sntsay l
ofg en."i)uB sU:tt hrougthhoelusetet twehrissc,th a rt
in eayry louatnhgd o t ot hlea msotm eonfht i ssp iritu�1
lifteh,ei rriseo t' t liseil'g httersaotcfa e n lya cojkfu dg-
PRE :fACE Vll
menta,n do nly oncet,o wardtsh ee nd,a sigonf t he
threatenindgo om:e verythinagp, art ftrhoimsi ,sp er­
fectlhye altahnyd l uciadn,de vent hec urioulsa slte tter
toG eorg Brasntdieglsil v eas p erfecste nseWh.y the
cryo fin sanitsyh ouledv erh aveb eenr aisaegda inst
Nietzscihshe a rdt ou nderstaanldtl,h em ores oa sa
s\milarre proahcahs n evebre ent houghstu fficiet�ot .
discredtihtew orko fo thefra mouasu thoorrsp hilos­
opherwsh oh appenteodb ev isitbeydt hes amea fflic­
tionN.o oneh ase vedro ubteSdwif t'sg eniubse cause
hisb raibne camcel oudteodw ardtsh ee ndo fhis life,
andA ugusCto mtew,h oa ctualpluyb lishheidsp rin­
cipablo okasf tear c on£nemenitn a lunatasiycl um
anda na ttempted siunit chieSd eei nies, satil hli ghly
'
esteempehdi losopher.
Butt heries a nothaern ds timlolr es erioluesg end
whicshh oulbde d estroybeyd t hipsu blicatiIotin s.
Nietzschree'psu treeds ponsibfiolrti hteWy o rldW ar.
We allr emembetrh ahte -togethwietrh somem inor
authors-waacsc useodf b eintgh ep oisonoefrt he
modern Germimnadn whosef·o rme"ri dealisamn"d
"romanticiNsime"t zscwhaes s aidt oh avee ntirely
pervertaendd ledi ntou nwholesommaet erialistic
channelNso.w itwi llb es eefnr omt heslee ttetrhsa t
therwea sn o more outspokeno ft chreiG teircm an
Empiraen di ts crudaen ds ueprfici"aKlu lturt"h an
Friedrich NieTthzrsocuhgeh.o huitsw hollei fteh is
lonemlayn f oughatg ainhsitsF atherlaannddf ort rue
enlightenmfeonrht a:r monbye tweenb odya nds oul,
betweepne oplaensd r acebse,t weeanu thoritaineds
subjectIstw. i lble a revelattiomo ann yw hoa re still
undetrh ei nfluenocfet hes ingulmiasrun derstanding
...
Vlll PREFACE
thanto whwearpser e-Gwearrm amnoyrfi ee rcdeel­y
nouncedi ntt hwhera int oiftn hgiss G(ewrhmwoaa ns �
byth ew ayh,a alP fo le)w,h owa ansid,nf act, the first
gooEdur opean.
Thea nPtriu-ssainatni,- Gearnmtain-,n ationalistic
currreunnttsh rougthhwoehu otol fNe i etzscchoer'­s
respondAettn hcheee .i gohfGt e rmanvyi'csti onr y
187N0i etzwscrhoeft reoB mA. l(eN o7v,1. 8 70):
"As regartdsh ec onditioofnc su ltuirnet hei mmediafteu ture
I feelt hed eepe:; tm isgivinIfg so.n lwye a ren otf orctoe dp ayto o
dearlfyo rt hthsu gen ationsaulc ceisnsa quartwehre rIe atl east
refutos es uffearn yl ossB.e tweeno urselvIe rse:g atrhedP russia
oft o4ay08 a powerf uUo ft heg reatesdta nger culjtOTu re."
Nietznscehvewe arv erienhd i dse edpi starnuds t
hifise rdceen oifaI lm perGiearlm awnhye;nn e ar the
enodf h issp irliitwfueeas lt fiinldlh imw ritfirnogm
Nicuen der date 24o,1f 8 8F7e:b ruary
"German politiacrse o nlya nothefro rmo fpe rmanenwti nter
andb adw eather.I tse ems to me thaGte rmanyf ort hel as1t 5
yearhsa sb ecome a regulsacrh oolo fbe sotment.W aterr,u bbish
andfi lthf,a ra ndw ide-thaits w hati tl ooksl ikfero m a distance.
I beg a thousapnadr donisfI, haveh urty ourn oblefree linbgys
statintgh ibsu,t f orm e present-dGaeyr man/wyw,ever muchi tm ay
bristle, hedgehog-lwiikteah rm a,I haven o longearn yr espectI.t
represetnhtses tupidmeosts,td epravaendd m ostm endacious form
oft heG ermans pirtihta th as ever exisIt fe01'dg.i vneo one for
compromisi'InIlitgh iinta nyw aye1,1 en ifh iana me be RichardW agner,"
etc.
Andt hiists h mea nw hoi ssa itdoh avien cihtiesd
countrtyoam neont whaeorrf c onquest!
Butt ruwthi olulte ,v einnl iteraIttdu oreceso. m e
ouitnt hciosr respownhdiecimnht,ca b eye, s afperley­
dictweidml,al rtkh een do ft h"em oraclr"u sade
agaionnsoetft hweo rlpdu'rsse psitr Iitwit lsfl.u rther-
PREFACE IX
moraec atsa s timutlota hnNeti etzcscohnet roversy
iEnn glaannAddm erjiucassa it,nF ranPcreo fn.dAler's1
bookh arse vitvhieend t eirtneh Gseet r mpahni losopher.
Thilsa psutib lciaotwnh,i cihsm eanttob ea m onu­
mentaaclh ieviensm ievxno tl umiesps r,a iisnthede·
LiteraryT imeso Afu gu1s1t1,9 21a,s" threec ognition
bya ne minFernetnp crho feswsroiortfite ahrgle e nius
ofG ermanTyh.e"ri esh ,o wevaes rl,ii gnhatcc uracy
int hriesm aTrhke.g enoifuG se rmahnayms a dfeo r
babraritshmge,e nioufNs i etzsshcohueml adek f or
cultIutri esi. nt hhiosp teh atth ipbusl icagtoeiso n
foritnhta onu nsetwtolredl d
OscAR LEVY.
ROYAL SOCIETIES CLUB,
StJ.a mes's Street,
LondoSn.W,. ,I .
Augu1s9t2,1.
1Nietr.sche1,a V ie et1 aP en.r�e.V olI.. Le1 Pr�r:vr1eurhr 1
Nietzsche.P arC harle1 Andler.( Paris, 1B9o�s0sa.r)d ,

NO TES ON
NIETZSCCHOERR'ESS PONDENTS,
BaumgarFtreanu1\I, a rieW.i ef ofa well-known
manuafcturienLr o rracihn B adenS.h et ranslated
"Thoughts ofOS ueta son," 3p aanrdt4 s, i nto
Frecnhb,u to nl"yR ichaWradg near B ayreutah"c ­
tualalpyp eared.S hed ieidn 1 897.
BrandGeeso,r gD,a nisahu thaonrd c ritoifc Euro­
peaann dA mericrane putatHieow nas. b orni n1 842
andi ss tillilv ing.
BilloHwa,n sv on1,8 30-f9a4m,o ucso nducatnodr
composbeerl ongtiotn hgWe a gner-LciisrzctlF ei.r st
husbaonfdC osimLai szwth,o a fterwarmdasr ried
RichaWradg ner.
BurhcakrdJta,co 1b8, 199-71,t8 hew ell-known art
critaincd h itsorni,aP rofesastoB ra leU nievrtsyi,
authoofr" ThCei ivlaitzioonft heR enaissatnhcee ,"
"Ciceroneet,c".
DeussenP,a ulo,n eo fN ieztschsec'hsoo ell-lfoawts
PfortHae.w asb orinn 1 845H.e w asa na dmiroefr
Schpoenhauaenrda steundto fI ndiapnhi losophy.
He taughattK ieUln ievrsiatnyd d ied durtihneg
greatw ar.
Fuchs,D r.K arla, m usiciwahno saec quaintance
withN ietzsdcahteeb sa ctok 1872H.e lecedt uorn
�'TBhier tohfT ragedy."
xiiN IETZSCHE'CSO RRESPONEDNTS
GastP,et erw,h osree anla mew asH eirncihK ose­
ltiz..A composwehro saec qunatianwcieth N eiztsceh
daetsb ack tthoep ubltiicno aoft he "Bitrho fT rag­
edy". Hwe as the mos,tn ayt he onlyf,aih tfuolf
Nitezschfer'ise nHdes .d iaed f ewy earasg oi nW ei­
mar.F ore xactd etailosft hisf rienidpses eh the
prefawcheic hP eetrG ast wrtoe to edithiiosno f
Nitezschlete'tse (rosv lum4eo fG erma·edn itoinI,n lse
Veragl,1 980).
GersdorffF,r eihKearrrlv on. OnNeie toczfh! e's
schlo-ofelaltoP wfsoa r atnda membeorft he landed
arioscatrcy.H eb ecamleae tro na RoyaClh amber­
lain.
Kn.ortz, Karl,P rossofre inE vanislvle( nIdiana,
U..S .A .),w hot ired tot ramnistto Americatnhse
laetstp ubltiicnosao fG ermalnie trtaurien clinugdt he
Nieztschepahilno sophy.
KrugG,u staovn,e o ft he earilets intmiateosf
Nieztshce,a membeorf a dsitiunigshNeda umburg
famiyl. Heb ecamae h iggho vnemretno fficiaanld
diedi nF rebiurign B reisigna1 u9 02.
M eysenbuMga,l dvaiv onb,or n1 816s,si teorf t he
Badenisaatnt esmaFnr,e ihveornrM esyenbuSgh.e
livsedni c1e8 4i8n L ondoann dw asg oveernsis nt he
housoefA lexanHdeerrz eSnh.ew asa cquinaedt with
Garailbid,R ichard Coasnidm Waa gnerN, itezsche,
LisztP,r niceWsist tegntseine,ct .H erp rincbiopoakl
is" Me morien eienrI de ailst i n."S hed edi inR ome,
1903.
Luise0 .,M adame.A young and verbye autiflu
Alsaitanw oman, wwahsmo a rriaednd l vied inP aris.