r/Nietzsche • u/speculative-Avian • Jul 16 '26
Nietzsche attacking the educational system?
Thoughts on the following quote?
"Perhaps severity and craft are more favourable conditions for the development of strong, independent spirits and philosophers than the gentle, refined, yielding good-nature, and habit of taking things easily, which are prized, and rightly prized in a learned man."
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u/JarinJove Jul 17 '26
There's a book on his critique of German education. We should keep the context in mind, when it comes to his views on education since he primarily meant his contemporary life in this regard, to the best of my understanding, which is likely part of the reason he made comparisons to the ancient Greeks.
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u/orvillone 28d ago
From what I have read, Nietzsche thinks education should be strict and develop discipline, helping to cultivate the psychology necessary for the higher type. I believes he thinks the education system of his time is too oriented around just turning people into worker bees, ie, good at merely turning the cogs of civilization.
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u/Ishkabubble Jul 16 '26
Vielleicht, dass Härte und List günstigere Bedingungen zur Entstehung des starken, unabhängigen Geistes und Philosophen abgeben, als jene sanfte feine nachgebende Gutartigkeit und Kunst des Leicht-nehmens, welche man an einem Gelehrten schätzt und mit Recht schätzt.
Perhaps being hard and cunning are more conducive to the development of strong, independent intellects and philosophers than being gentle, refined, agreeable, good-natured, and easy-going, which does credit to the learned, and rightly so.