What is the meaning of the "will to truth," for instance in the Goncourts? and in the _naturalists_?--A criticism of "objectivity." Why should we know: why should we not prefer to be deceived?... But what was needed was always belief--and _not_ truth.... Belief is created by means which are quite _opposed_ to the method of investigation: _it even depends upon the exclusion of the latter._ 456. A certain degree of faith suffices to-day to give us an _objection_ to what is believed--it does more, it makes us question the spiritual healthiness of the believer. 457. _Martyrs._--To combat anything that is based upon reverence, opponents must be possessed of both daring and recklessness, and be hindered by no scruples.... Now, if one considers that for thousands of years man has sanctified as truths only those things which were in reality errors, and that he has branded any criticism of them with the hall-mark of badness, one will have to acknowledge, however reluctantly, that a goodly amount of _immoral deeds_ were necessary in order to give the initiative to an attack--I mean to _reason...._ That these immoralists have always posed as the "martyrs of truth" should be forgiven them: the truth of the matter is that they did not stand up and deny owing to an instinct for truth; but because of a love of dissolution, criminal scepticism, and the love of adventure. In other cases it is personal rancour which drives them into the province of problems--they only combat certain points of view in order to be able to carry their point against certain people. But, above all, it is revenge which has become scientifically useful--the revenge of the oppressed, those who, thanks to the truth that happens to be ruling, have been pressed aside and even smothered.... Truth, that is to say the scientific method, was grasped and favoured by such as recognised that it was a useful weapon of war--an instrument of _destruction_.... In order to be honoured as opponents, they were moreover obliged to use an apparatus similar to that used by those whom they were attacking: they therefore brandished the concept "truth" as absolutely as their adversaries did--they became fanatics at least in their poses, because no other pose could be expected to be taken seriously. What still remained to be done was left to persecution, to passion, and the uncertainty of the persecuted--hatred waxed great, and the first impulse began to die away and to leave the field entirely to science. Ultimately all of them wanted to be right in the same absurd way as their opponents.... The word "conviction," "faith," the pride of martyrdom--these things are most unfavourable to knowledge. The adversaries of truth finally adopt the whole subjective manner of deciding about truth,--that is to say, by means of poses, sacrifices, and heroic resolutions,--and thus _prolong_ the _dominion_ of the anti-scientific method. As martyrs they compromise their very own deed. 458.