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Friedrich_Nietzsche - Untimely_Meditations_(Cambridge_Texts_in_the_History_of_Philosophy__1997)

Friedrich_Nietzsche - Untimely_Meditations_(Cambridge_Texts_in_the_History_of_Philosophy__1997)

Friedrich_Nietzsche - Untimely_Meditations_(Cambridge_Texts_in_the_History_of_Philosophy__1997)

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<strong>Untimely</strong> <strong>Meditations</strong>how universal, by contrast, cultural endeavour is and what anunspeakable amount <strong>of</strong> energy is expended <strong>in</strong> its service. One asksoneself <strong>in</strong> amazement: is such knowledge perhaps completelyunnecessary? Does nature atta<strong>in</strong> its goal even when <strong>the</strong> m·ajoritymisunderstand <strong>the</strong> objective <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir endeavours? He who hasaccustomed himself to th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g highly <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> unconscious purposefulness<strong>of</strong> nature will perhaps experience no difficulty <strong>in</strong> reply<strong>in</strong>g:'Yes, that is how it is! Men may reflect and argue about <strong>the</strong>ir ultimategoal as much as <strong>the</strong>y like, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> obscure impulse <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> depths <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong>y are well aware <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rightful path.' To be able to contradictthis, one must have experienced certa<strong>in</strong> th<strong>in</strong>gs; but he whoreally is conv<strong>in</strong>ced that <strong>the</strong> goal <strong>of</strong> culture is to promote <strong>the</strong> production<strong>of</strong> true human be<strong>in</strong>gs and noth<strong>in</strong>g else, and <strong>the</strong>n sees howeven now, with all our expenditure and pomp <strong>of</strong> culture, <strong>the</strong> production<strong>of</strong> such human be<strong>in</strong>gs is hardly to be dist<strong>in</strong>guished fromcruelty to animals protracted <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> human world, will th<strong>in</strong>k it verynecessary f<strong>in</strong>ally to replace that 'obscure impulse' with a consciouswill<strong>in</strong>g. And he will th<strong>in</strong>k so especiall)t for a second reason: that itshall cease to be possible for that drive which does not know its goal,that celebrated obscure impulse, to be employed for quite differentobjectives and directed on to paths which can never lead to <strong>the</strong> supremegoal, <strong>the</strong> production <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> genius. For <strong>the</strong>re exists a species<strong>of</strong> misemployed and appropriated culture you have only to look aroundyou! And precisely those forces at present most actively engaged <strong>in</strong>promot<strong>in</strong>g culture do so for reasons <strong>the</strong>y reserve to <strong>the</strong>mselves andnot out <strong>of</strong> pure dis<strong>in</strong>terestedness.Among <strong>the</strong>se forces is, first <strong>of</strong> all, <strong>the</strong> greed <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> money-makers, whichrequires <strong>the</strong> assistance <strong>of</strong> culture and by way <strong>of</strong> thanks assists culture<strong>in</strong> return, but at <strong>the</strong> same time, <strong>of</strong> course, would like to dictate itsstandards and objectives. It is from this quarter that <strong>the</strong>re comes thatfavourite proposition and cha<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> conclusions which goes someth<strong>in</strong>glike this: as much knowledge and education as possible,<strong>the</strong>refore as much demand as possible, <strong>the</strong>refore as much productionas possible, <strong>the</strong>refore as much happ<strong>in</strong>ess and pr<strong>of</strong>it as possible- thatis <strong>the</strong> seductive formula. Education would be def<strong>in</strong>ed by itsadherents as <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>sight by means <strong>of</strong> which, through demand and its.satisfaction, one becomes time-bound through and through but at<strong>the</strong> same time best acquires all <strong>the</strong> ways and means <strong>of</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>gmoney as easily as possible. The goal would <strong>the</strong>n be to create asmany current human be<strong>in</strong>gs as possible, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> sense <strong>in</strong> which onespeaks <strong>of</strong> a co<strong>in</strong> as be<strong>in</strong>g current; and, accord<strong>in</strong>g to this conception,164

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