The legendary Cologne brothel episode dates from this period,
which many find to be proof for Nietzsches contraction of syphilis. Nietzsche,
who claimed he was dumbstruck before the women (a street
porter brought him there mistakenly after Nietzsche asked
to be taken to interesting sights), thought only the piano
had any spirit, and approaching it, struck a few improvisatory
chords, which freed him from his paralysis, and left the establishment
at once. Some might expect the disciple of Dionysis to have freely indulged himself, but that perhaps is a distorted view of the Dionysian philosopher for whom self-mastery is just as vital. At the years end, he left Bonn for Leipzig, a move
encouraged by Ritschls own move to Leipzig
University.
In Leipzig, Nietzsche continued his work on Theognis,
worked closely with Ritschl, and was part of a student philological
club initiated by Ritschl. Nietzsche worked closely on Aeschylus
texts, wrote an essay on Diogenes Laertius, and many other
articles and reviews which make up the Philologica. During
the Leipzig years, Nietzsche's first, or major philosophical
awakening came with his discovery of Schopenhauer, whose philosophy
would present entire new perspectives of viewing the world
and leave him with many striking questions. He read The World
as Will and Representation carefully and enthusiastically,
internally debating with the philosopher while blending his
knowledge of classical literature with his own lived experiences
of philosophical issues; Erwin Rohde, a colleague and friend
of Nietzsche's, also shared his enthusiasm for Schopenhauer.
Another significant influence on Nietzsche's philosophical
evolution during this period was F.A. Langes History of Materialism
(1866), and in the midst of these intellectual developments,
Nietzsche began to consider teaching, encouraged by the encomiums
of his professors, who said he had great pedagogical talents.
Moreover, he was making efforts to improve his prose style
and, under the influence of Lichtenberg and Schopenhauer,
began to write aphorisms.
In 1867, Nietzsche was compelled to join the Prussian Army, interrupting his philological work for one year. During his time in the military, he injured himself while mounting a horse and was eventually declared unfit for service and released from further duties. Nietzsche became familiar with Kantian philosophy while in the army through Kuno Fischer, a neo-Kantian. He started writing a philosophical essay, Teleology since Kant, which he thought would be his doctoral dissertation, but this project did not materialize. Shortly after his return to Leipzig, he gave a lecture to the philological society, but his loyalty was suddenly split between philology and philosophy. In this last year in Leipzig,
two great events took place in Nietzsche's life. In the beginning of the academic year, he met and became friends with Richard Wagner, whose works he had been familiar with. And in the beginning of 1869 Nietzsche was chosen to be Professor Extraordinarius at Basel University through the influence of Ritschl, who recommended him with great accolades.
At twenty-four, he would become an associate professor before completing his doctorate.
In his youth, Nietzsche had aspired to be a musician prior to taking up the path of philology; he composed lieder and solo piano works, but did not develop his musical talent as would a professional musician. Thus to meet Wagner, one of the eminent cultural figures of his time, was an exhilarating experience; two weeks prior to his first encounter with Wagner in Leipzig in November of 1868, Nietzsche, who had been familiar with the composers music since his youth, said that in particular the Overture to Die Meistersinger and the Prelude to Tristan created and sustained in him the feeling of being carried away. Wagner was also the same age as Nietzsches long deceased father, to whom the musician bore a striking resemblance; they also shared common interest in Schopenhauer, whom Wagner said was the only philosopher who understood the essence of music. Wagner also wrote works on art, religion, and politics, and their mutual interest in Greek tragedy led to many fruitful discussions on the significance of art and its place in life. These would have a great impact on Nietzsches first book. However, their relationship, which started so amicably, would end in a rupture due to artistic, philosophical,
and personal conflicts and differences.
On April 13, 1869, Nietzsche left Naumburg for Basel and renounced
his German citizenship. Though he lived in Switzerland for
some time, residency requirements kept Nietzsche from actually
becoming a Swiss citizen, thus he remained stateless, living
the very life of one separate from state, nation, and politics
as he exemplified in his philosophy. It was not only spiritually,
but physically that he would and always be a Good
European.
While engaged
as a professor (he would remain an academic for but ten
years), Nietzsche presented his inaugural lecture, which was
on Homer and Classical Philology. During his time there,
he taught classical Greek, continued to present public lectures,
engaged in dialogue with colleagues and met frequently with
Wagner and his wife Cosima, who lived not far from him at
Tribschen, which he referred to as the Isle of the Blessed.
Nietzsche also met Jacob Burckhardt, the well-known historian
of culture, who taught history of ancient Greek culture at
Basel (his work was published posthumously as Die Griechische
Kulturgeschichte). Burckhardt had the keen sense of a
historian and an astute understanding of the inner dynamics
of ancient cultures, and this complemented Nietzsche's attempt
at an interpretation of ancient Greek civilization. Nietzsche
and Burckhardt attended each others lectures and had long
discussions on Greek culture, which also surely influenced
Nietzsches first work. While at Basel, Nietzsche also befriended
Franz Overbeck, the Christian theologian, and Heinrich Köselitz,
a student of Nietzsche's, who later became an opera composer
under the pseudonym Peter Gast. He functioned as Nietzsches
amanuensis, editing his writings and proofreading galleys;
towards the end of Nietzsches life, it was said that Gast
was the only person capable of deciphering the philosophers
hand-writing. During his time as a professor, Nietzsche taught
Greek tragedies, Greek poetry, and Plato and the pre-Platonic
philosophers. In the meantime, he was working towards a major
publication and writing essays to that end; these essays would
later form the bulk of Nietzsche's first book, The
Birth of Tragedy, whose original title was Ursprung
und Ziel der Tragödie [Origin and Goal of Tragedy], published
in 1871.
continues on Page 3..
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"...drawing on much previously unpublished and undiscussed Nietzsche material, Emden examines the role of metaphor and interpretation, reasserting the relevance of rhetoric to philosophy, in consonance with Nietzsche's own statements and practices"
"...The strength of Richardson’s book is that it does not merely discuss the influence of Darwin’s thought on Nietzsche or catalog points of similarity and difference"
This new translation of Nietzsche’s magnum opus is by far the best available in the English language. It should find its way to the desk of all students who do not have access to the original German.
Every student of Nietzsche in the Anglophone world should read this book. It is a most able treatment of a much-ignored and much-misunderstood topic close to the very heart of the writings of this seminal thinker.