Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 13:28:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: "John B. Morgan" <jbmorgan-AT-umich.edu>
Subject: Re: no subject (file transmission)


On Mon, 19 Jun 1995, Raj wrote:

> It is amazing to see how a man can achieve such immortality, (through 
> infamy? ) for the very ideas that he _castigates_ without relent. 
> My first "introduction" to Nietzsche was through the eyes of Russell, in his
> "History. of W. Phil.". Very misleading..indeed. 

Russell definitely is not a good as an intro to Nietzsche. Particularly 
avoid his essay "History of Fascism," which to me represents both a 
complete misunderstanding of both German philosophy, Nietzsche and the 
politics of fascism.

> Even for a casual reader like me, the interpretations of and the nuances behind 
> Nietzsche's "will to power" theory , are essentially an analysis of the human 
> mind and not a doctrine of political power (and certainly not for the Germans).
> 
> I am currently reading his "Ecce Homo". He seems to be apologetic about his
> "German"ness(?). Was he indeed of polish ancestry? or am i missing the mark
> by a mile? 

I don't know if "apologetic" is the word I'd use, but he certainly goes 
to great lengths to distance himself from all things German. However, I 
think that, at least on a purely philosophical level, he was fooling 
himself, for as much as he despised Kant and Hegel and the others, FN was 
part of the same line. But he WAS successful, I think, in distancing 
himself from the German political climate of his time. 

Perhaps you are already aware of this, but a great deal of the misreading of 
Nietzsche as proto-Nazi, even to the present day, is the result of his 
sister's meddling after his death. She established herself as the 
absolute ruler of her brother's work after his insanity and death, and 
unfortunately outlived him by 36 years. She did not hesitate to distort 
or even forge her brother's work in order to bring him into line with her 
own anti-Semitic, ultra-nationalist views. A recent book, FORGOTTEN 
FATHERLAND, chronicles the attempt of she and her husband in the 1880s to 
found a German colony in South America that would eventually create the 
"superman" (closer to Hitler's superman than Nietzsche's, however). She 
lived long enough to see Hitler's rise to power, and even brought him to 
the Nietzsche-Archiv. That is largely how N. came to become the official 
Nazi philosopher, and also why most studies of Nietzsche prior to 1950 
are pretty worthless, because they tend to see Nietzsche as a sort of 
demonic "man of action" and indulge in hero-worship. 

As for the Polish ancestry bit, Nietzsche and his family certainly believed it,
but thus far no documentary evidence has been produced to prove it.

> (The formulations and the "style" makes "one" wish, "one" understood
> enough German...to taste the original )

That's a rectifiable condition!

John Morgan, Research Secretary   "To disrespect the masses is moral; 
The University of Michigan         to honor them, lawful." 
Alzheimer's Disease Research                    --F. Schlegel 
Center (MADRC)                                 
jbmorgan-AT-umich.edu                                               
  





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