5. That which causes philosophers to be regarded half-distrustfully and half-mockingly, is not the oft-repeated discovery how innocent they are—how often and easily they make mistakes and lose their way, in short, how childish and childlike they are,—but that there is not enough honest dealing with them, whereas they all raise a loud and virtuous outcry when the problem of truthfulness is even hinted at in the remotest manner. They all pose as though their real opinions had been discovered and attained through the self-evolving of a cold, pure, divinely indifferent dialectic (in contrast to all sorts of mystics, who, fairer and foolisher, talk of "inspiration"), whereas, in fact, a prejudiced proposition, idea, or "suggestion," which is generally their heart's desire abstracted and refined, is defended by them with arguments sought out after the event.
Beyond Good and Evil
Table of Contents
- PREFACE 9
- CHAPTER I. PREJUDICES OF PHILOSOPHERS 16
- CHAPTER II. THE FREE SPIRIT 70
- CHAPTER III. THE RELIGIOUS MOOD 118
- CHAPTER IV. APOPHTHEGMS AND INTERLUDES 159
- CHAPTER V. THE NATURAL HISTORY OF MORALS 185
- CHAPTER VI. WE SCHOLARS 235
- CHAPTER VII. OUR VIRTUES 280
- CHAPTER VIII. PEOPLES AND COUNTRIES 338
- CHAPTER IX. WHAT IS NOBLE? 393
- FROM THE HEIGHTS 467
- By F W Nietzsche 468
- Translated by L. A. Magnus 469