Human, All-Too-Human: A Book for Free Spirits, Part 1: Complete Works, Volume SixNietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm
PhilosophyPhilosophy
Human, All-Too-Human: A Book for Free Spirits, Part 1: Complete Works, Volume Six
Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm
Human beings
Too LOUD A TONE IN GRIEVANCES.--Through the fact that an account of a
bad state of things (for instance, the crimes of an administration,
bribery and arbitrary favour in political or learned bodies) is greatly
exaggerated, it fails in its effect on intelligent people, but has
all the greater effect on the unintelligent (who would have remained
indifferent to an accurate and moderate account). But as these latter
are considerably in the majority, and harbour in themselves stronger
will-power and more impatient desire for action, the exaggeration
becomes the cause of investigations, punishments, promises, and
reorganisations. In so far it is useful to exaggerate the accounts of
bad states of things.
449.
THE APPARENT WEATHER--MAKERS OF POLITICS.--Just as people tacitly
assume that he who understands the weather, and foretells it about a
day in advance, makes the weather, so even the educated and learned,
with a display of superstitious faith, ascribe to great statesmen as
their most special work all the important changes and conjunctures that
have taken place during their administration, when it is only evident
that they knew something thereof a little earlier than other people and
made their calculations accordingly,--thus they are also looked upon as
weather-makers--and this belief is not the least important instrument
of their power.
450.
NEW AND OLD CONCEPTIONS OF GOVERNMENT.--To draw such a distinction
between Government and people as if two separate spheres of power,
a stronger and higher, and a weaker and lower, negotiated and came
to terms with each other, is a remnant of transmitted political
sentiment, which still accurately represents the historic establishment
of the conditions of power in _most_ States. When Bismarck, for
instance, describes the constitutional system as a compromise between
Government and people, he speaks in accordance with a principle which
has its reason in history (from whence, to be sure, it also derives
its admixture of folly, without which nothing human can exist). On
the other hand, we must now learn--in accordance with a principle
which has originated only in the _brain_ and has still to _make_
history--that Government is nothing but an organ of the people,--not
an attentive, honourable "higher" in relation to a "lower" accustomed
to modesty. Before we accept this hitherto unhistorical and arbitrary,
although logical, formulation of the conception of Government, let us
but consider its consequences, for the relation between people and
Government is the strongest typical relation, after the pattern of
which the relationship between teacher and pupil, master and servants,
father and family, leader and soldier, master and apprentice, is
unconsciously formed. At present, under the influence of the prevailing
constitutional system of government, all these relationships are
changing a little,--they are becoming compromises. But how they will
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