The Joyful Wisdom ("La Gaya Scienza")Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm
PhilosophyPhilosophy
The Joyful Wisdom ("La Gaya Scienza")
Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm
Philosophy
145.
_Danger of Vegetarians._—The immense prevalence of rice-eating impels to
the use of opium and narcotics, in like manner as the immense prevalence
of potato-eating impels to the use of brandy:—it also impels, however,
in its more subtle after-effects to modes of thought and feeling which
operate narcotically. This is in accord with the fact that those who
promote narcotic modes of thought and feeling, like those Indian
teachers, praise a purely vegetable diet, and would like to make it a
law for the masses: they want thereby to call forth and augment the need
which _they_ are in a position to satisfy.
146.
_German Hopes._—Do not let us forget that the names of peoples are
generally names of reproach. The Tartars, for example, according to
their name, are "the dogs"; they were so christened by the Chinese.
"_Deutschen_" (Germans) means originally "heathen": it is thus that the
Goths after their conversion named the great mass of their unbaptized
fellow-tribes, according to the indication in their translation of the
Septuagint, in which the heathen are designated by the word which in
Greek signifies "the nations." (See Ulfilas.)—It might still be possible
for the Germans to make an honourable name ultimately out of their old
name of reproach, by becoming the first _non-Christian_ nation of
Europe; for which purpose Schopenhauer, to their honour, regarded them
as highly qualified. The work of _Luther_ would thus be consummated,—he
who taught them to be anti-Roman and to say: "Here _I_ stand! _I_ cannot
do otherwise!"—
147.
_Question and Answer._—What do savage tribes at present accept first of
all from Europeans? Brandy and Christianity, the European narcotics.—And
by what means are they fastest ruined?—By the European narcotics.
148.
_Where Reformations Originate._—At the time of the great corruption of
the church it was least of all corrupt in Germany: it was on that
account that the Reformation originated _here_, as a sign that even the
beginnings of corruption were felt to be unendurable. For, comparatively
speaking, no people was ever more Christian than the Germans at the time
of Luther; their Christian culture was just about to burst into bloom
with a hundred-fold splendour,—one night only was still lacking; but
that night brought the storm which put an end to all.
149.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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