Nietzsche and Jews

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Nietzsche and Jews

Post by Archie »

Thomas Dalton, in his short book Eternal Strangers, compiles numerous critiques of Jews made by notable people going back to antiquity. He has a little section on Nietzsche, but I think the case of Nietzsche warrants further analysis as Dalton's presentation differs sharply from the mainstream literature which often portrays Nietzsche as an anti-anti-Semite.

By some luck, I found that Andrew Joyce has a very detailed article on this very question of Nietzsche's attitudes toward the Jews. It is a review of Robert Holub's 2015 book Nietzsche’s Jewish Problem: Between Anti-Semitism and Anti-Judaism which is presumably the most thorough mainstream treatment of the topic.
https://www.theoccidentalobserver.net/2 ... ne-of-two/
https://www.theoccidentalobserver.net/2 ... wo-of-two/

One piece of evidence Joyce mentions but that Dalton doesn't get into is that early on, Nietzsche was devoted to Wagner who was legendary anti-Semite (see for example his 1850 essay "Jewry in Music"). This by itself is circumstantial evidence of his sympathies, at least early on. There was even an incident in 1872 where Nietzsche had included a brief critical comment about Jews in a draft of his lecture notes.
This is the most serious question of our art: and anyone who, as a Teuton, does not understand the seriousness of this question, has fallen into the Socratism of our times, which, to be sure, is neither capable of producing martyrs, nor speaks the language of the wisest Hellene. This Socratism is the Jewish press: I’ll say no more.
Wagner's wife Cosima told him to cut out the part about Jews.
Do you really understand me? Don’t mention the Jews, and especially not en passant; later, when you want to take up this gruesome fight, in the name of God, but not at the very outset, so that on your path you won’t have all this confusion and upheaval. I hope you don’t misunderstand me: you know that in the depths of my soul I agree with your utterance. But not now and not in this way.
Counterpoints

Just because we can find a couple of "based" quotes doesn't mean we can jump to conclusions here as there are also comments that seem to run in the other direction. A commonly cited passage is section 251 of Beyond Good and Evil. Below is part of it. (Dalton cites this passage but does not quote or address the parts that sound more favorable on the Jews).
It is certain that the Jews, if they desired—or if they were driven to it, as the anti-Semites seem to wish—COULD now have the ascendancy, nay, literally the supremacy, over Europe, that they are NOT working and planning for that end is equally certain. Meanwhile, they rather wish and desire, even somewhat importunely, to be insorbed and absorbed by Europe, they long to be finally settled, authorized, and respected somewhere, and wish to put an end to the nomadic life, to the "wandering Jew",—and one should certainly take account of this impulse and tendency, and MAKE ADVANCES to it (it possibly betokens a mitigation of the Jewish instincts) for which purpose it would perhaps be useful and fair to banish the anti-Semitic bawlers out of the country.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/43 ... mages.html

It seems clear that Nietzsche does not think of himself as being included among "the anti-Semites." At the same time, though, some of Nietzsche's comments where he says something favorable sounding about Jews potentially border on "accidental" anti-Semitism, i.e., certain forms of "praise" may imply or reinforce some anti-Semitic stereotypes about Jewish power.
https://codohforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=225

There are also private letters that are sometimes referenced.
http://www.thenietzschechannel.com/corr ... t-1887.htm
It now remains to thank you for your well-meaning assumption that I have not been "led to my warped judgments by any social considerations"; and perhaps it will serve your peace of mind if finally I tell you that among my friends, I have no Jews. But also no anti-Semites. (to Theodor Fritsch, 1887)
Recently a Mr. Theodor Fritsch from Leipzig wrote to me. There is no more impudent and stupid mob in Germany than these anti-Semites. I gave him in thanks by letter a real beating [Fußtritt]. This blackguard dares to mouth the name Z[arathustra]! Disgust! Disgust! Disgust! (Nietzsche's Notebooks, 1886-1887)
I am returning to you the three issues of your correspondence sheet, thanking you for your confidence which you permitted me to cast a glance at the muddle of principles that lie at the heart of this strange movement. Yet I ask in the future not to provide me with these mailings: I fear, in the end, for my patience. Believe me: this abominable "wanting to have a say" of noisy dilettantes about the value of people and races, this subjection to "authorities" who are utterly rejected with cold contempt by every sensible mind (e.g., E. Dühring, R. Wagner, Ebrard, Wahrmund, P. de Lagarde who among these in questions of morality and history is the most unqualified, the most unjust?), these constant, absurd falsifications and rationalizations of vague concepts "Germanic," "Semitic," "Aryan," "Christian," "German" all of that could in the long run cause me to lose my temper and bring me out of the ironic benevolence with which I have hitherto observed the virtuous velleities and pharisaisms of modern Germans.

And finally, how do you think I feel when the name Zarathustra is mouthed by anti-Semites? ... (to Theodor Fritsch, 1887)
The anti-Semites are enamored with Zarathustra, "the divine man"; and there is a particular anti-Semitic interpretation of it, which made me laugh greatly. Incidentally, I have made "in competent quarters" the suggestion a thorough list be made of German scholars, artists, writers, actors, virtuosos of entirely or half-Jewish descent: that would make a good contribution to the history of German culture, and criticism of it. (In all this, between ourselves, my brother-in-law is not involved at all; my dealings with him are very polite, but aloof, and as infrequent as possible. His undertaking in Paraguay is thriving, by the way; my sister is too.) (to Franz Overbeck, 1887)
Now it has gone so far that I have to defend myself tooth and nail against those who confuse me with these anti-S[emitic] canaille; after my own sister, my former sis[ter], like Widemann more recently, has given the impetus to this most disastrous of all confusions. After I actually read the name Z[arathustra] in the Anti-S[emitic] Correspondence, my patience came to an end I am now in a state of self-defense against the party of your husband. These accursed antics of the anti-Semites shall not sully my ideal!! (to his sister, Elizabeth Förster Nietzsche, 1887)
For some context, his sister's husband was staunch anti-Semite.

All Told

This is a surprisingly complicated question, and it doesn't seem like a definitive conclusion will be possible. My best (inexpert) guess is that he probably had some Jew-critical opinions early on, especially during his pro-Wagner phase. Later on, while his views on Jews may not have been exactly "politically correct" by modern standards, it does not seem he was especially anti-Semitic given the era and given his antipathy toward religion in general. And it's safe to say he butted heads with Fritsch and other anti-Semites of his day.

Addendum: Kaufmann and Levy

As an afterthought, I will mention that Jews have played a major role in interpreting Nietzsche in the English-speaking world. Jewish scholar Walter Kaufmann was a major translator and biographer of Nietzsche and had considerable influence over the interpretations of Nietzsche after WWII. Interestingly, prior to Kaufmann, there was a different Jew, Oscar Levy, who edited the first complete English editions of Nietzsche's works in 1909-1913. One of the main translators who worked with Levy was the far-right intellectual Anthony Ludovici. They were apparently quite close. At a glance, I do not detect much of a Jewish agenda behind Levy's efforts. I can't say the same for Kaufmann, however. Kaufmann's thing seems to have been to distance Nietzsche from the far-right associations of the Third Reich era and to package him to be more amenable to the liberal sensibilities of post-WWII America. To some extent, Kaufmann was probably correct that the interpretations of Nietzsche after his death were often not very reflective of Nietzsche himself. But I think it was inevitable that some of Nietzsche's ideas (the superman, etc) would be blended with parallel Darwinian and racialist concepts even if Nietzsche himself did not really draw such connections.

Counter Currents sells some works of Ludovici
https://counter-currents.com/product/th ... d-edition/
https://counter-currents.com/product/co ... -feminist/
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Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by bombsaway »

Nietzsche is something of Jewish supremacist tbh

On Jews "occidentalizing" Europe

http://nietzsche.holtof.com/reader/frie ... 5846f.html
Every nation, every man has disagreeable, even dangerous characteristics; it is cruel to demand that the Jew should be an exception. Those characteristics may even be especially dangerous and frightful in him, and perhaps the youthful Jew of the stock exchange is the most repugnant invention of the whole human race. Nevertheless, I would like to know how much one must excuse in the overall accounting of a people which, not without guilt on all our parts, has had the most sorrowful history of all peoples, and to whom we owe the noblest human being (Christ), the purest philosopher (Spinoza), the mightiest book, and the most effective moral code in the world. Furthermore, in the darkest medieval times, when the Asiatic cloud had settled heavily over Europe, it was the Jewish freethinkers, scholars, and doctors, who, under the harshest personal pressure, held fast to the banner of enlightenment and intellectual independence, and defended Europe against Asia; we owe to their efforts not least, that a more natural, rational, and in any event unmythical explanation of the world could finally triumph again, and that the ring of culture which now links us to the enlightenment of Greco-Roman antiquity, remained unbroken. If Christianity did everything possible to orientalize the Occident, then Judaism helped substantially to occidentalize it again and again, which, in a certain sense, is to say that it made Europe's history and task into a continuation of the Greek.


Throw out the anti semites, to empower the Jews to take over, which they are "certainly" not trying to do (but should be doing!)
http://nietzsche.holtof.com/reader/frie ... 17fdb.html
That the Jews, if they wanted to - or if people were to force them, as the anti-Semites seem to want to do - could even now become predominant, in fact, quite literally gain mastery over Europe, is certain; that they are not working and planning for that is equally certain. Meanwhile by contrast they desire and wish - even with a certain insistence - to be absorbed into and assimilated by Europe. They thirst to be finally established somewhere or other, allowed, respected, and to bring to an end their nomadic life, to the "Wandering Jew." And people should pay full attention to this tendency and impulse (which in itself perhaps even expresses a moderating of Jewish instincts) and accommodate it. And for this, it might perhaps be useful and reasonable to expel the anti-Semitic ranters out of the country


Christianity is a logical progression of Judaism, and yet now the Jews are going to be the ones who save Europe "the eternal blessing"

http://nietzsche.holtof.com/reader/frie ... cf9d3.html
But now, since they are unavoidably going to ally themselves with the best aristocracy of Europe more and more with every year that passes, they will soon have created for themselves a goodly inheritance of spiritual and bodily demeanour: so that a century hence they will appear sufficiently noble not to make those they dominate ashamed to have them as masters. And that is what matters! That is why it is still too soon for a settlement of their affairs! They themselves know best that a conquest of Europe, or any kind of act of violence, on their part is not to be thought of: but they also know that at some future time Europe may fall into their hands like a ripe fruit if they would only just extend them. To bring that about they need, in the meantime, to distinguish themselves in every domain of European distinction and to stand everywhere in the first rank: until they have reached the point at which they themselves determine what is distinguishing. Then they will be called the inventors and signposts of the nations of Europe and no longer offend their sensibilities. And whither shall this assembled abundance of grand impressions which for every Jewish family constitutes Jewish history, this abundance of passions, virtues, decisions, renunciations, struggles, victories of every kind whither shall it stream out if not at last into great men and great works! Then, when the Jews can exhibit as their work such jewels and golden vessels as the European nations of a briefer and less profound experience could not and cannot produce, when Israel will have transformed its eternal vengeance into an eternal blessing for Europe: then there will again arrive that seventh day on which the ancient Jewish God may rejoice in himself, his creation and his chosen people and let us all, all of us, rejoice with him!
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Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by pilgrimofdark »

Archie wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 4:50 am This is a surprisingly complicated question, and it doesn't seem like a definitive conclusion will be possible. My best (inexpert) guess is that he probably had some Jew-critical opinions early on, especially during his pro-Wagner phase. Later on, while his views on Jews may not have been exactly "politically correct" by modern standards, it does not seem he was especially anti-Semitic given the era and given his antipathy toward religion in general. And it's safe to say he butted heads with Fritsch and other anti-Semites of his day.
Dalton also wrote a couple articles on "Nietzsche on the Jews" and "Nietzsche and the Origins of Christianity," but Dalton's anti-Christian position leads him to reach a bit.

Nietzsche harshly criticized Wagner's anti-Semitism, even suggesting that Wagner might have been a Semite himself. In this early period, he has more positive writings about Jews, mainly when criticizing Wagner. He uses Jews to beat up on Wagner.
bombsaway wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 5:25 am Nietzsche is something of Jewish supremacist tbh
It might be going too far to characterize him as a Jewish supremacist. Attributing a "monstrous moral mendacity" to Jewish influence in Europe isn't something I'd expect from a Jewish supremacist.

Looking through his published writings and his notebooks, he seems to use Jews as a tool when it suits his purpose. He uses them to beat up on some of his favorite targets:
- Christians
- Germans
- Wagner
- Europeans
- Morality
- Women

There are dozens of references to Jews in his notebooks, which have been slowly published in English by Stanford University.

Here are some that are more critical of Jews throughout his writing career. However, there are many that are positive, many that are neutral, and many that are unclear.

edit: All quotes below from the Stanford University Press "Complete Works of Friedrich Nietzsche" books: volume, page number, chapter heading.
That the Jews are the worst people on earth accords well with the fact that it was precisely among Jews that the Christian teaching of the entire sinfulness and contemptibility of human beings emerged - and that they rejected it.

- Vol. 12, 267 (Summer 1876)
A human can endure the most horrible contempt (like the Jews), but he must derive the feeling of p[ower] somehow (as Jews do from money)

- Vol. 13, 160 (Summer 1880)
Jewish: a religion of terror, contempt and sometimes grace (like the old patriarchs)

- Vol. 13, 308 (End of 1880)
The Jews corrupted by the Egyptian captivity.

- Vol. 14, 216 (Spring-Summer 1883)
There is a kind of revenge in the foregrounding of conquering virtues: thus abstinence, capricious mortification, solitude, intellectual poverty are praised: and the future is associated with apathy.

In Europe, this entire moral pivot is Jewish.

Granted, this kind of mentality gradually achieves dominance and people who have it become the rulers: thus the result is a monstrous moral mendacity (or shamelessness).

- Vol. 14, 222 (Spring-Summer 1883)
The German and Slavic races being woven together - no matter what, we also need the best money people, the Jews, so as to have dominion over the earth.

- Vol. 15, 219 (Summer-Autumn 1885)
[on enchanters:]
- their brains and private parts easily aroused, like the Jews and the Chinese

- Vol. 15, 352 (Winter 1884-1885)
The Germans should cultivate a ruling caste: I confess that there are qualities inherent in Jews that are indispensable to their serving as an ingredient in a race that is supposed to practice world politics. The sense for money has to be learned, inherited and inherited a thousand fold: even now the Jew is a match for the American.

- Vol. 16, 32 (April-June 1885)
He mentions "Jews (Virtuosos)" under a heading of "Hystrionics" (Vol. 16, 361, Autumn 1885-Autumn 1886)
The dangers of the Jewish soul are: 1) it seeks to nest itself parasitically somewhere 2) it knows how to "adapt," as the natural scientists say, in this manner they "have become born actors, like the octopus" ... Their talent and even more their tendency and inclination to both seem tremendous; their habit of expending much spirit and persistence on very small gains has left a fateful furrow in their character: so that even the most respectable wholesalers of the Jewish money market cannot bring themselves, if the circumstances warrant, to (not) cold-bloodedly reach for little mesquinen ["shabby"] overcharges of the kind that would make a Prussian financier blush.

- Vol. 16, 133 (June-July 1885)
When the Jews appear as innocence itself, there the danger has grown great...
... Jews: instinctively clever, able to create a seduction out of wholly superstitious presuppositions, and an advantage out of ignorance

- Vol. 17, 155 (Autumn 1887)
the Jewish "Instinct of the Chosen": with no hesitation they lay claim to all virtues and count the remainder of the world as their opposite: profound sign of meanness of the soul.

- Vol. 17, 337 (Autumn 1887)
I'm not up to date on Nietzsche scholarship, but an interesting analysis might be "How Nietzsche used the Jews in his writings." That might be easier to untangle than whether he was pro- or anti-Semitic.

Should probably be careful about stuff like this, though:
Spoiler
Image
Last edited by pilgrimofdark on Fri Sep 05, 2025 11:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by bombsaway »

pilgrimofdark wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 5:43 pm
It might be going too far to characterize him as a Jewish supremacist. Attributing a "monstrous moral mendacity" to Jewish influence in Europe isn't something I'd expect from a Jewish supremacist.
Fair to argue semantics, but I see him as a supremacist (literally) in his repeated calls for the Jews to become the ruling caste of Europe.

Do you mind linking to those quotes btw, I couldn't find anything for this eg "Jews (Virtuosos)" under a heading of "Hystrionics" (Vol. 16, 361, Autumn 1885-Autumn 1886)

Did you use an LLM? these things hallucinate like crazy.
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Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by pilgrimofdark »

bombsaway wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 11:08 pm
Do you mind linking to those quotes btw, I couldn't find anything for this eg "Jews (Virtuosos)" under a heading of "Hystrionics" (Vol. 16, 361, Autumn 1885-Autumn 1886)

Did you use an LLM? these things hallucinate like crazy.
No, I try not to use LLMs at all. Fact-checking them makes me confused whether they're hallucinating or I'm just dumb :?

"Vol. 16, 361, Autumn 1885-Autumn 1886" - Volume number, page number, chapter heading

All from these:

The Complete Works of Friedrich Nietzsche

Some PDFs are available from Z-lib, but I've been collecting the paperbacks as they slowly get released.

If any quote isn't in a PDF and you want a photo of the page itself to verify, let me know and I'll post.
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Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by Archie »

bombsaway wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 5:25 am Nietzsche is something of Jewish supremacist tbh
I think someone might be projecting a bit ...
Throw out the anti semites, to empower the Jews to take over, which they are "certainly" not trying to do (but should be doing!)
http://nietzsche.holtof.com/reader/frie ... 17fdb.html
That the Jews, if they wanted to - or if people were to force them, as the anti-Semites seem to want to do - could even now become predominant, in fact, quite literally gain mastery over Europe, is certain; that they are not working and planning for that is equally certain. Meanwhile by contrast they desire and wish - even with a certain insistence - to be absorbed into and assimilated by Europe. They thirst to be finally established somewhere or other, allowed, respected, and to bring to an end their nomadic life, to the "Wandering Jew." And people should pay full attention to this tendency and impulse (which in itself perhaps even expresses a moderating of Jewish instincts) and accommodate it. And for this, it might perhaps be useful and reasonable to expel the anti-Semitic ranters out of the country
This is Beyond Good and Evil 251 which I already quoted in the OP (which you clearly didn't read).

Anyway, you are basically just cherry-picking the scant favorable comments about Jews (or against anti-Semites) and are ignoring the other comments as well as contextual considerations. FYI Holub does not seem to take the more flattering comments about Jews entirely at face value. Aside from the point that some of these "pro-Jewish" comments are borderline accidental anti-Semitism, there's also the question of to what extent Nietzsche really meant it. From the Joyce review,
Holub seems to indicate that Nietzsche had in some respects ‘sold out’ when he points to a
growing realization Nietzsche had about Jews as a group. From his experience with the Wagners he had learned that Jews should not be attacked in public documents, and that they allegedly have the power to affect negatively a Gentile’s success in German culture. Now he was also beginning to recognize that … there was a significant advantage he could garner from Jews.
Did Nietzsche really believe that Jews were an exceptional race that would push Europe to greatness? Holub does an excellent job of portraying a man keen to tell his Jewish listeners what they wanted to hear while retaining an instinctive dislike of Jews in general, even harboring a deep aversion to some of his ‘fans.’ One of these fans, Siegfried Lipiner, was initially indulged by Nietzsche, but after a number of meetings the philosopher found the Jew’s “pushiness and deficiencies in decorum and social grace” almost unbearable. In correspondence with another non-Jew, Nietzsche would write of Lipiner that “like all Semites, he kills tender things” and that the only talent he possessed was the sole Hebrew talent of “imitation.” In public and in private, Nietzsche would often express strong disapproval of political anti-Semitism, but Holub argues that this was always with a Jewish audience and Jewish supporters in mind, and that Nietzsche “was seeking to please and sometimes placate his interlocutor.” What emerges from this tangled web of correspondence is a man quite aware that Jews are powerful, and keen to protect his own reputation and position in German culture.
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Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by Archie »

pilgrimofdark wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 5:43 pm Nietzsche harshly criticized Wagner's anti-Semitism, even suggesting that Wagner might have been a Semite himself. In this early period, he has more positive writings about Jews, mainly when criticizing Wagner. He uses Jews to beat up on Wagner.
I might be misunderstanding you here. But wasn't Nietzsche very pro-Wagner in his early period until breaking with him in the mid-1870s? And don't his most "pro-Jewish" comments show up more in his later writings? I was thinking he was probably more anti-Semitic early on and less so later. Are you saying your impression is the opposite? That he was more favorable to Jews in his early period?
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Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by bombsaway »

Archie wrote: Sat Sep 06, 2025 4:21 am
bombsaway wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 5:25 am Nietzsche is something of Jewish supremacist tbh
I think someone might be projecting a bit ...
Throw out the anti semites, to empower the Jews to take over, which they are "certainly" not trying to do (but should be doing!)
http://nietzsche.holtof.com/reader/frie ... 17fdb.html
That the Jews, if they wanted to - or if people were to force them, as the anti-Semites seem to want to do - could even now become predominant, in fact, quite literally gain mastery over Europe, is certain; that they are not working and planning for that is equally certain. Meanwhile by contrast they desire and wish - even with a certain insistence - to be absorbed into and assimilated by Europe. They thirst to be finally established somewhere or other, allowed, respected, and to bring to an end their nomadic life, to the "Wandering Jew." And people should pay full attention to this tendency and impulse (which in itself perhaps even expresses a moderating of Jewish instincts) and accommodate it. And for this, it might perhaps be useful and reasonable to expel the anti-Semitic ranters out of the country
This is Beyond Good and Evil 251 which I already quoted in the OP (which you clearly didn't read).

Anyway, you are basically just cherry-picking the scant favorable comments about Jews (or against anti-Semites) and are ignoring the other comments as well as contextual considerations. FYI Holub does not seem to take the more flattering comments about Jews entirely at face value. Aside from the point that some of these "pro-Jewish" comments are borderline accidental anti-Semitism, there's also the question of to what extent Nietzsche really meant it. From the Joyce review,
What am I missing in BGE 251? http://nietzsche.holtof.com/reader/frie ... 17fdb.html

It's pure supposition to say that Fred wasn't being genuine when he repeatedly said the ruling caste of Europe should be Jewish. This is the supremacist viewpoint, despite criticisms he has of them, and if I'm cherry picking, provide me some quotes. As you can see in Daybreak 205, he criticizes but says they should be in charge in the same aphorism.
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Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by Wetzelrad »

bombsaway wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 5:25 am
[...] Then, when the Jews can exhibit as their work such jewels and golden vessels as the European nations of a briefer and less profound experience could not and cannot produce, when Israel will have transformed its eternal vengeance into an eternal blessing for Europe: then there will again arrive that seventh day on which the ancient Jewish God may rejoice in himself, his creation and his chosen people and let us all, all of us, rejoice with him!
This is a very amusing quote. Even better with the full page. I'm not so familiar with Nietzsche. Is there any remote chance that he meant this as a sort of mockery?
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Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by pilgrimofdark »

Archie wrote: Sat Sep 06, 2025 4:33 am
pilgrimofdark wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 5:43 pm Nietzsche harshly criticized Wagner's anti-Semitism, even suggesting that Wagner might have been a Semite himself. In this early period, he has more positive writings about Jews, mainly when criticizing Wagner. He uses Jews to beat up on Wagner.
I might be misunderstanding you here. But wasn't Nietzsche very pro-Wagner in his early period until breaking with him in the mid-1870s? And don't his most "pro-Jewish" comments show up more in his later writings? I was thinking he was probably more anti-Semitic early on and less so later. Are you saying your impression is the opposite? That he was more favorable to Jews in his early period?
Pro-Wagner, but not necessarily anti-Jewish. Post-break, he's anti-Wagner but not necessarily pro-Jewish. His most pro-Jewish and anti-Jewish comments show up more in his later writings because he addresses the topic more.

My impression is largely that Nietzsche picks up the topic of "Jews" as a convenient tool, usually to bash or be bashed by other issues.

Jews aren't mentioned in The Birth of Tragedy, but there are some neutral mentions of Semitic myths.

Nietzsche's early notebooks (1869-1873) aren't published in English yet, but some will be in January 2026. There might be some early writings on Jews.

But by the Unfashionable Observations period (1873-1876), Nietzsche's notebooks mention Jewish issues in relation to his break with Wagner. These mentions are more anti-Wagner than pro- or anti-Jewish.

In a notebook entry of Spring 1873, Nietzsche alludes to Berthold Auerbach's Jewish descent and the foreign deplorable jargon that has entered the German language.

Then he breaks with Wagner in 1876. Writes that Jews "are the worst people on earth" that summer.

By 1881, he's expressing anti-anti-Semite thoughts, but simultaneously that anti-Semites have an affinity towards Jews, and that Wagner might be a Semite, which could explain his anti-Semitism. "Anti-Semites are the real Jews" is still argued on Twitter/X.

Beyond then, there are many more references to Jews: some admiring, some very harsh (parasites, moral mendacity, shabby overcharges, all non-Jews as their opposite, etc.).

[All references above come from the Stanford Nietzsche books in "Unpublished Writings/Fragments" sections. I can type any out upon request.]
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Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by bombsaway »

I didn't know about this mountain of unpublished work by Fred, so much to go through. Thanks for bringing it to my attention Pilgrim.

I think for most posters on this forum, the statements about anti semites should be heeded. There is no ambiguity about how he feels here.
Oh, what good deed is a Jew under German cattle! underestimate the gentlemen...
The anti-Semites. What really distinguishes a Jew and an anti-Semite the Jew
knows that he is lying, if he's lying: the anti-Semite does not know that he always
lies.
https://philarchive.org/archive/FERNEH? ... hatgpt.com

It's a fact that the correlation between Holocaust deniers/revisionists and beliefs deemed "anti semitic" is close to 100%.
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Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by Wahrheitssucher »

bombsaway wrote: Sun Sep 07, 2025 5:16 pm
…the Jew knows that he is lying…
https://philarchive.org/archive/FERNEH? ... hatgpt.com

It's a fact that the correlation between Holocaust deniers/revisionists and beliefs deemed "anti semitic" is close to 100%.
This appears to be another case of the accusation being a concealed confession.

The ‘anti-semitism’ term is a special word that was supposedly popularised by Wilhelm Marr in 1879. It’s a neologism that elevates racism directed against jews above all other forms of racial prejudice.
No other class of victim of racial prejudice has elevated a word for racism that can only be applied to themselves.
Which is ironically …, well, rather racist. 8-)

For many Jews, their own version of the holocaust narrative is ironically extremely racist. That being because it is prejudiced against ALL Germans. It holds ALL Germans guilty and in contempt. Which is obviously the very definition of a racial prejudice.

Anyone who has seen the jewish documentary (i.e. made by a jew) called ‘Defamation’ will know that Israeli-Jewish school kids taken to Auschwitz on a school trip have extremely racist attitudes to not just ALL Germans but also to ALL Poles too. Really! Check it out if you doubt that.

Image

I recommend watching it for other revelations.
As it is made by a Jew it is allowed to portray and say things that no non-jew would be permitted to do.

SUMMARY:
Basically what Bombsaway is revealing here is that it is actually he himself who harbours and justifies irrational contempt and prejudice for a group of strangers. In his case it is against anyone who points out flaws and deceptions in the holyH narrative.
And if he secretly is jewish (which is possible and even likely) then that reveals a form of jewish racism.

That is because what this ‘a-s’ accusation comes from is an irrational hatred and contempt for non-jews who dare to critically analyse their sacred belief in special jewish suffering during WW2.
They don’t care at all for the approx. 19 million Russian civilianx who perished. Nah! Irrelevant.
Nor for the approx. 16 million Chinese. Who cares about them? Not jews.
Nor for the approx 1 to 3 million Bengalis who suffered miserable ends from starvation and disease because Churchill was shipping out rice to “feed our war-effort”.Puh! That’s nothing to them.

CONCLUSION:
Q. Isn’t that disregard — and effective denial — of every other race’s suffering and deaths during WW2 deeply racist?
A. Yes it is.

Q. Is the whole holyH narrative deepky racist then?
A. Yes it is.

Q. So why can’t Bombsaway and those others like him, concede that?
A. They can, …subliminally: as every accusation is actually a confession.
A ‘holocaust’ believer’s problem is not technical, factual, empirical or archeological — their problem is psychological.
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bombsaway
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Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by bombsaway »

Wahrheitssucher wrote: Sun Sep 07, 2025 9:24 pm
bombsaway wrote: Sun Sep 07, 2025 5:16 pm
…the Jew knows that he is lying…
https://philarchive.org/archive/FERNEH? ... hatgpt.com

It's a fact that the correlation between Holocaust deniers/revisionists and beliefs deemed "anti semitic" is close to 100%.
This appears to be another case of the accusation being a concealed confession.

The ‘anti-semitism’ term is a special word that was supposedly popularised by Wilhelm Marr in 1879. It’s a neologism that elevates racism directed against jews above all other forms of racial prejudice.
You have the wrong idea about me. I acknowledge that "anti semitic" is a constructed label, and even alluded to this in my response by saying "deemed"

Ultimately I think it's just a fact, that revisionists typically hold other beliefs that are deemed "anti semitic"
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Wahrheitssucher
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Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by Wahrheitssucher »

bombsaway wrote: Sun Sep 07, 2025 9:32 pm
Wahrheitssucher wrote: Sun Sep 07, 2025 9:24 pm
bombsaway wrote: Sun Sep 07, 2025 5:16 pm
https://philarchive.org/archive/FERNEH? ... hatgpt.com

It's a fact that the correlation between Holocaust deniers/revisionists and beliefs deemed "anti semitic" is close to 100%.
This appears to be another case of the accusation being a concealed confession.

The ‘anti-semitism’ term is a special word that was supposedly popularised by Wilhelm Marr in 1879. It’s a neologism that elevates racism directed against jews above all other forms of racial prejudice.
Ultimately I think it's just a fact, that revisionists typically hold other beliefs that are deemed "anti semitic"
You appear to be confusing ‘fact’ with ‘strongly held opinion’.

And I suggest you consider the possibility that you are again subconsciously revealing your own irrational prejudices.
The higher someone soars the smaller they appear to those who cannot fly.
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
A ‘holocaust’ believer’s problem is not technical, factual, empirical or archeological — their problem is psychological.
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bombsaway
Posts: 1281
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2024 2:23 am

Re: Nietzsche and Jews

Post by bombsaway »

Wahrheitssucher wrote: Sun Sep 07, 2025 9:39 pm
bombsaway wrote: Sun Sep 07, 2025 9:32 pm
Wahrheitssucher wrote: Sun Sep 07, 2025 9:24 pm
This appears to be another case of the accusation being a concealed confession.

The ‘anti-semitism’ term is a special word that was supposedly popularised by Wilhelm Marr in 1879. It’s a neologism that elevates racism directed against jews above all other forms of racial prejudice.
Ultimately I think it's just a fact, that revisionists typically hold other beliefs that are deemed "anti semitic"
You are confusing ‘fact’ with ‘strongly held opinion’.

And I again suggest you consider the possibility that you are again subconsciously revealing your own irrational prejudices.
The higher someone soars the smaller they appear to those who cannot fly.
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
So you're saying that most revisionists don't have other views which have been deemed by the public to be anti semitic? It seems like you're misreading me idk about what exactly is fact. I'm not asserting whether those claims deemed anti semitic are true or not

When Neiztsche discusses anti semites, he is using the mainstream conception, relative to his time and place.
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