THE ANTICHRIST
By
Friedrich Nietzsche
Translation: H.L. Mencken
10.
Among
Germans I am immediately understood when I say that theological blood is the ruin of
philosophy. The Protestant pastor is the grandfather of
German philosophy;
Protestantism it
self is its peccatum originale. Definition of
Protestantism:
hemiplegic paralysis of
Christianity--and of reason. ... One need only utter the words "
Tubingen School" to get an understanding of what
German philosophy is at bottom--a very artful form of theology. . . The Suabians are the best liars in
Germany; they lie innocently. . . . Why all the rejoicing over the appearance of Kant that went through the learned world of
Germany, three-fourths of which is made up of the sons of preachers and teachers--why the
German conviction still echoing, that with Kant came a change for the better? The theological instinct of
German scholars made them see clearly just what had become possible again. . . . A backstairs leading to the old ideal stood open; the concept of the "true world," the concept of morality as the essence of the world (--the two most vicious errors that ever existed!), were once more, thanks to a subtle and wily scepticism, if not actually demonstrable, then at least no longer refutable... Reason, the prerogative of reason, does not go so far. . . Out of reality there had been made "appearance"; an absolutely false world, that of being, had been turned into reality. . . . The success of Kant is merely a theological success; he was, like Luther and Leibnitz, but one more impediment to
German integrity, already far from steady.--