Фридрих Ницше - The Dawn of Day

The book was first published in 1881, the preface being added to the second edition, 1886.—TR.

This refers, of course, to the different genders of the nouns in other languages. In German, for example, the sun is feminine, and in French masculine.—TR.

M. Henri Albert points out that this refers to a line of Paul Gerhardt’s well–known song: “Befiel du deine Wege.” TR.

“Formal education” is the name given in Germany to those branches of learning which tend to develop the logical faculties, as opposed to “material” education which deals with the acquisition of facts and all kinds of “useful” knowledge.—TR.

The reference is to the Odyssey, XX. 18: “Τέτλαθι δή, κραδίη; καὶ κύντερον ἄλλο ποτ᾽ ἔτλης…” etc. Κύντερος, from κύων, “a dog,” lit. more dog–like, i.e. shameless, horrible, audacious.—TR.

If this aphorism seems obscure, the reader may take Tolstoi as an example of the first class and Nietzsche as an example of the second. Tolstoi’s inconsistencies are generally glossed over, because he professed the customary moral theories of the age, while Nietzsche has had to endure the most searching criticism because he did not. In Nietzsche’s case, however, the scrutiny has been in vain; for, having no unworkable Christian theories to uphold, unlike Tolstoi, Nietzsche’s life is not a series of compromises. The career of the great pagan philosopher was, in essence, much more saintly than that of the great Christian. How different from Tolstoi, too, was that noble Christian, Pascal, who, from the inevitable clash of his creed and his nature, died at thirty–eight, while his weaker epigone lived in the fulness of his fame until he was over eighty!—TR.

A hit at the German Empire, which Nietzsche always despised, since it led to the utter extinction of the old German spirit. “Kingdom” (in “Kingdom of God”) and “Empire” are both represented by the one German word Reich.—TR.

This sentence is a complete refutation of a book which caused so much stir in Germany about a decade ago, and in England quite recently, Chamberlain’s Nineteenth Century, in which a purely imaginary Teutonic race is held up as the Chosen People of the world. Nietzsche says elsewhere, “Peoples and Countries,” aphorism 21, “Associate with no man who takes part in the mendacious race–swindle.”—TR.

The fiercest protests against Nietzsche’s teaching even now come from the “unfeeling people.” Hence the difficulty—now happily past—of introducing him into Anglo–Saxon countries.—TR.

The German Jews are well known for their charity, by means of which they probably wish to prove that they are not so bad as the Anti–Semites paint them.—TR.

That is, do not speak either of God or the devil. The German proverb runs: “Man soll den Teufel nicht an die Wand malen, sonst kommt er.”—TR.

The case of that other witty Venetian, Casanova.—TR.

The play upon the words gründlich (thorough) thinkers, and Untergründlichen (lit. those underground) cannot be rendered in English.—TR.

A variation of the well–known proverb, Ubi bene, ibi patria .—TR.

Hence the violence of all fanatics, who do not wish to shout down the outer world so much as to shout down their own inner enemy, viz. truth.—TR.

This omission is in the original.—TR.

This, of course, refers to Richard Wagner, as does also the following paragraph.—TR.

The play upon the words Vorschritt (leading) and Fortschritt (progress) cannot be rendered in English.—TR.