It is said that shortly after Nietzsche went insane, he managed to pull himself together enough to write these words in a letter;. Nietzsche has faced various accusations, and while some may hold some truth, he remained free from racist tendencies. His position on anti-Semitism and German nationalism was unambiguous, in his extensive body of works, correspondence, and scattered notes.
In a private letter, he directly conveyed his disapproval of this union to her. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Your association with an anti-Semitic chief expresses a foreignness to my whole way of life which fills me ever again with ire or melancholyβ¦. It is a matter of honor to me to be absolutely clean and unequivocal regarding anti-Semitism, namely opposed, as I am in my writings.
Elizabeth forged letters, withheld certain parts of his work, particularly the entire work called the Antichrist. To understand Nietzsche's views on anti-Semitism, it's crucial to comprehend his perspective on the origins of Christian morality. Historically, Jews have faced persecution from Christians, despite the fact that Christians borrowed elements from Judaism. Therefore, to discuss anti-Semitism, it is imperative to revisit its foundations within Christianity. It's widely recognized that Nietzsche challenged the fundamental underpinnings of Western culture in relation to Christianity.
Given our affiliation with this culture, his scrutiny extends to us as well. Nietzsche argued that the fallacies of this religion originated from a flawed psychology. Scholar Weaver Santaniello says Nietzsche's primary criticism of Christian-European values is in emphasizing their origins in "cruel, perverse, narrow-minded, and pathological motives.
Nietzsche identifies the fundamental impulse driving Christian morality and anti-Semitism as "ressentiment," a French term distinct from the English "resentment. It originates from feelings of weakness, an inferiority complex, and possibly even jealousy towards the perceived source of frustration. Ressentiment gives rise to a rejecting and justifying value system or morality that condemns this perceived source of frustration. This value system serves as a defense mechanism by branding the perceived origins of these feelings of weakness, inferiority, and envy as objectively inferior, thereby preventing the resentful individual from confronting and overcoming their insecurities and imperfections.
