Friedrich_Nietzsche - Untimely_Meditations_(Cambridge_Texts_in_the_History_of_Philosophy__1997)

Schopenhauer as educatorthe more of these current human beings it possesses the happier anation will be. Thus the sole intention behind our moderneducational institutions should be to assist everyone to becomecurrent to the extent that lies in his nature, to educate everyone insuch a way that they can employ the degree of knowledge and learningof which they are capable for the accumulation of the greatest possibleamount of happiness and profit. What is demanded here is that theindividual must be able, with the aid of this general education, exactlyto assess himself with regard to what he has a right to demand oflife;and it is asserted, finally, that there exists a natural and necessaryconnection between 'intelligence and property', between 'wealthand culture', more, that this connection is a moral necessity. Herethere is a hatred of any kind of education that makes one a solitary,that proposes goals that transcend money and money-making, thattakes a long time; such more serious forms of education are usuallydisparaged as 'refined egoism' and as 'immoral cultural Epicureanism'.Precisely the opposite of this is, of course, held in esteem by themorality that here counts as valid: namely, a speedy education sothat one may quickly become a money-earning being, yet at thesame time an education sufficiently thorough to enable one to earn avery great deal of money. A man is allowed only as much culture as itis in the interest of general money-making and world commerce heshould possess, but this amount is likewise demanded of him. Inshort: 'Man has a claim to earthly happiness and for that reason heneeds education, but only for that reason!'Secondly, there is the greed of the state, which likewise desires thegreatest possible dissemination and universalization of culture andhas in its hands the most effective instruments for satisfying thisdesire. Presupposing it knows itself sufficiently strong to be able, notonly to unchain energies, but at the right time also to yoke them, presupposingits foundations are sufficiently broad and secure to sustainthe whole educational structure, then the dissemination ofeducation among its citizens can only be to its advantage in its competitionwith other states. Whenever one now speaks of the 'culturalstate', one sees it as facing the task of releasing the spiritual energiesof a generation to the extent that will serve the interests of existinginstitutions: but only to this extent; as a forest river is partially divertedwith dams and breakwaters so as to operate a mill with thediminished driving-power thus produced - while the river's fulldriving-power would rather endanger the mill than operate it. Thisreleasing of energies is at the same time, and much more, an165