THE MAKING OF FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE How did Nietzsche the philosopher come into being? The Nietzsche known today did not develop naturally, through the gradual maturation of some inborn character. Instead, from an early age he engaged in a self-conscious campaign to follow his own guidance, thereby cultivating the critical capacities and personal vision which figureinhisbooks.asaresult,hispublishedworksaresteepedin values that he discovered long before he mobilized their results. Indeed, one could argue that the first work which he authored was not a book at all, but his own persona. Based on scholarship previously available only in German, this book examines Nietzsche s unstable childhood, his determination to advance through selfformation, and the ways in which his environment, notably the Prussian education system, alternately influenced and impeded his efforts to find his own way. It will be essential reading for all who are interested in Nietzsche. daniel blue is an independent scholar. He is the author of many articles on Nietzsche in journals, including Journal of Nietzsche Studies and Dialogue.
THE MAKING OF FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE The Quest for Identity, 1844 1869 DANIEL BLUE
University Printing House, Cambridge cb2 8bs, UnitedKingdom Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge. It furthers the University s mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. Information on this title: /9781107134867 DanielBlue2016 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2016 Printed in the United Kingdom by Clays, St Ives plc A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data Blue, Daniel, 1946 author. The making of Friedrich Nietzsche : the quest for identity, 1844 1869 /. New York : Cambridge University Press, 2016. Includes bibliographical references and index. LCCN 2016005742 ISBN 9781107134867 LCSH: Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, 1844 1900. LCC B3316.B58 2016 DDC 193 dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016005742 isbn 978-1-107-13486-7 Hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
For Adrienne Fried Block who told me to write it again
Contents Texts and citations page viii Introduction 1 1 The legacy 13 2 Half an orphan 34 3 The discovery of writing 57 4 The discovery of self 73 5 Soul-building: the theory 93 6 The turn to naturalism 115 7 The underworld of Pforta 139 8 The lottery 161 9 Soul-building: the practice 178 10 The fourth cycle 208 11 The end of the first act 231 12 An education in mistrust 248 13 Become what you are 271 14 The gift horse 293 Afterword: the autobiographer 314 Bibliography 321 Index 336 vii
Texts and Citations Because this work confines itself to Nietzsche s early years, citations in the text refer almost exclusively to collected editions of his work. Editions of individual books by Nietzsche are given only for those mentioned in the text and are provided mostly to source translations. Any unattributed translations are the author s own. Abbreviations of collected works of Nietzsche BAW Historisch-kritische Gesamtausgabe: Werke. 5 vols. Hans Joachim Mette, Karl Schlechta, and Carl Koch eds. Munich: C.H. Beck sche Verlagsbuchhandlung. 1933 1940. Reprinted 1994. KGW Kritische Gesamtausgabe: Werke. Begründet von Giorgio Colli und Mazzino Montinari. Weitergeführt von Volker Gerhardt, Norbert Müller, Wolfgang Müller-Lauter und Karl Petalozzi. Erste Abteilung. Johann Figl, Hans Gerald Hödl, Ingo W. Rath et al. eds. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. 1967. KGB Kritische Gesamtausgabe: Briefwechsel. Giorgio Colli and Mazzino Montinari eds. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. 1975. KSA Sämtliche Werke: Kritische Studienausgabe. 15 vols. Giorgio Colli and Mazzino Montinari eds. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. 1988. KSAB Sämtliche Briefe. Kritische Studienausgabe. 8 vols. Giorgio Colli and Mazzino Montinari eds. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. 1986. viii
Abbreviations of individual works by Nietzsche cited in text UO Unfashionable observations. Richard T. Gray tr. Stanford University Press. 1995. HAH I Human, all too human I. Gary Handwerk tr. and Afterword. Stanford University Press. 1995. HAH II Human, all too human II and unpublished fragments from the period of Human, all too human II (Spring 1878 Fall 1879). Gary Handwerk tr. and Afterword. Stanford University Press. 2013. D Dawn: thoughts on the presumptions of morality. Brittain Smith tr. Afterword by Keith Ansell-Pearson. Stanford University Press. 2013. GS The gay science with a prelude in rhymes and an appendix of songs. Walter Kaufmann tr. and commentary. New York: Random House. 1974. Z Texts and citations Thus spoke Zarathustra, a book for all and none. Adrian Del Caro tr. Adrian Del Caro and Robert B. Pippin eds. Cambridge University Press. 2006. BGE Beyond good and evil: prelude to a philosophy of the future. Walter Kaufmann tr. New York: Random House. 1966. GM On the genealogy of morality: a polemic. Maudemarie Clark and Alan J. Swensen tr. with notes. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company. 1998. TI Friedrich Nietzsche. Twilight of the idols in The Anti-Christ, Ecce homo, Twilight of the idols, and other writings. Judith Norman tr. Aaron Ridley and Judith Norman eds. Cambridge University Press. 2005. ix
x Texts and citations EH Friedrich Nietzsche. Ecce homo in The Anti-Christ, Ecce homo, Twilight of the idols, and other writings. Judith Norman tr. Aaron Ridley and Judith Norman eds. Cambridge University Press. 2005. CW Friedrich Nietzsche. The Case of Wagner in The Anti-Christ, Ecce homo, Twilight of the idols, and other writings. Judith Norman tr. Aaron Ridley and Judith Norman eds. Cambridge University Press. 2005.