New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-26

thusta. When Nietzsche falls foul Of Richard
Wagner. he does not convince his reader that he
knows or even guesses at better Kind or music.
He merely reveals his distaste for Wagner SINH
larry Nietzsche asks U.S. in the realm OF philos-
ophy and morals. not to step up higher, but 10
pass to a negation Of that in which we already
believe calling the negation a higher plan OF
life because we like IL better. His p'thy style
cannot hide the Issue with its keen play around
countless familiar notions Of art or civilization.
We may smile at some OF the observations on
Wagner but 1t needs no solemn Induction into
the mysteries Of music to tell the reader that
something Is wrong when Nietzsche fnds his
antithesis 10 the hated musician in-Blzet. The
sum and substance OF THE Case Against Wag-
ner" would appear to be that the Nibelung Ring
got on Nietzsche's nerves as 1t got on Herr
Nordaus. and that therefore 1t Is anathema mar
anatha All the time il Nietzsche's nerves hadn't
been in "a state Of tremulous weakness, he would
have listened sobery and talked soberly; he
would have written some caustic criticisms, per-
haps but he would not have torn the operas to
shreds like a child In a fit Of Ill temper. Above
all, he would have judged Wagners music for IT.
self and not from the point of view OF one who.
having been pleased with Bizet, is convinced that
Bzet is kind of musical pope. Here again the
great flaw Of the Nietzsche philosophy Is appar-
ent. 1t Goes not analyze: 1t likes. or dislikes
Nietzsche himself might seem to promise some
thing better than this He was wide reader.
and in spite Of his PROFESSIONAL vocations, any
thing but an academic critic In his paradoxcal.
slightly impish way. he would say good thing.
Rousseau defined as the return to nature In
impurs naturalibus'; Schiller as "the moral
Trumpeter Of Sackingen'; Mchelet as "enthu-
sasm which strips Off the coat; these are half
truths to which 1t Is impossible to refuse mo-
mentary approval. But Dante. as "a hyena poet
izng in tombs." offends quite apart from It's
ignoblity: it is stupid bette" as the French have
it, it p a Judgment which shows the narrowness
Of Nietzsches mind much more eloquently than
the Rousseau epigram shows its breadth.
True breadth Of mind Nietzsche falls to reveal.
and this because he reckons without any conf
dence in what is sublime in human nature. he
leaves out Of court. derdes and cheapens, that
desire to which Milton gave splendid utterance
for whole race
What In me is dark
Illumine what is low raise raise and support.
The note of that impassioned aspiration Is hui
mility the note Of great philosophy In every age,
and Nietzsche is looking perpetually through the
wrong end Of the telescope. With his conceited
assumption that that which / want to do l
must do lest leaving it undone defe my soul
with the mud of ungratified desire" That dec
laration is not quoted bodily from any one OF
his pages. but it is the essence Of them all and
Zarathustra's high-sOunding nonsense cannot d.
vert attention from the fact. What Nietzsches
imagined herophant can dO-and 1t is In this
connection that Zarathustra threatens TO work
most harm-is to make the speciOus paradox
more specous to persuade weak minds that
thing must be so because ii IS affirmed with an
air of wisdom and more or less logical play of
words Thus Spake Zarathustra with Its
fashv imitation of ratiocnative processes, with
Professor Alexander TILES pOrtentous introduce
tion Is q plausible volume. and the sheer au-
dacity of the thing may be expected to win some
adherents for the author. But will any of his
students ever make head or tail out OF Zarathus-
tra's squ!rmings? Will this PHILOSOPHY ever
be reduced to system, or. like Plato's TO an
idea an inspiration? Nietzsche is typical, as
has been said: he stands for the abandonment
to license which is characteristic OF the de-
| cadent; he is comprehensive as disease. even
| as a frame Of mind but that his philosophy IL
| comprehensive as philosophy is something
| which II were impossible TO state without in
sulting the rectitude Of true philosophers, with
out ignoring their co-ordrating sanity and their
| uplifting aim.