Existentialism
Friedrich Nietzsche
(1844 - 1900)
|
A
sublime one saw I today, a solemn one, a penitent of the
spirit: Oh, how my soul laughed at his ugliness! (thus
spake zarathustra) |
4.
The Despisers of the Body
TO the despisers of the body will I speak
my word. I wish them neither to learn afresh, nor teach anew, but only
to bid farewell to their own bodies,- and thus be dumb.
"Body am I, and soul"- so saith
the child. And why should one not speak like children?
But the awakened one, the knowing one,
saith: "Body am
I entirely, and nothing more; and soul
is only the name of something in the body."
The body is a big sagacity, a plurality
with one sense, a war and a peace, a flock and a shepherd.
An instrument of thy body is also thy little
sagacity, my brother, which thou callest "spirit"- a little
instrument and plaything of thy big sagacity.
"Ego," sayest thou, and art proud
of that word. But the greater thing- in which thou art unwilling to believe-
is thy body with its big sagacity; it saith not "ego," but doeth
it.
What the sense feeleth, what the spirit
discerneth, hath never its end in itself. But sense and spirit would fain
persuade thee that they are the end of all things: so vain are they.
Instruments and playthings are sense and
spirit: behind them there is still the Self. The Self seeketh with the
eyes of the senses, it hearkeneth also with the ears of the spirit.
Ever hearkeneth the Self, and seeketh;
it compareth, mastereth, conquereth, and destroyeth. It ruleth, and is
also the ego's ruler.
Behind thy thoughts and feelings, my brother,
there is a mighty lord, an unknown sage- it is called Self; it dwelleth
in thy body, it is thy body.
There is more sagacity in thy body than
in thy best wisdom. And who then knoweth why thy body requireth just thy
best wisdom?
Thy Self laugheth at thine ego, and its
proud prancings. "What are these prancings and flights of thought
unto me?" it saith to itself. "A by-way to my purpose. I am
the leading-string of the ego, and the prompter of its notions."
The Self saith unto the ego: "Feel
pain!" And thereupon it suffereth, and thinketh how it may put an
end thereto- and for that very purpose it is meant to think.
The Self saith unto the ego: "Feel
pleasure!" Thereupon it rejoiceth, and thinketh how it may ofttimes
rejoice- and for that very purpose it is meant to think.
To the despisers of the body will I speak
a word. That they despise is caused by their esteem. What is it that created
esteeming and despising and worth and will?
The creating Self created for itself esteeming
and despising, it created for itself joy and woe. The creating body created
for itself spirit, as a hand to its will.
Even in your folly and despising ye each
serve your Self, ye despisers of the body. I tell you, your very Self
wanteth to die, and turneth away from life.
No longer can your Self do that which it
desireth most:- create beyond itself. That is what it desireth most; that
is all its fervour.
But it is now too late to do so:- so your
Self wisheth to succumb, ye despisers of the body.
To succumb- so wisheth your Self; and therefore
have ye become despisers of the body. For ye can no longer create beyond
yourselves.
And therefore are ye now angry with life
and with the earth. And unconscious envy is in the sidelong look of your
contempt.
I go not your way, ye despisers of the
body! Ye are no bridges for me to the Superman!Thus spake Zarathustra.
_______________
Ce
qu'on fait n'est jamais compris mais seulement loué ou blâmé.
Nietzsche, Gay Science |