Published:October 21st, 2009 19:45 EST

Nietzsche: Fascist or Freedom Fighter? Part VI

I am often asked why, after all, I write in German: nowhere am I read worse than in the fatherland. "(Twilight of the Idols, Portable Nietzsche p. 555)

As we have seen, the beliefs of Nietzsche did not correspond with those of the National Socialists. In fact, the Nazis themselves whether from the common population of soldiers (Pauline Christians) all the way up to Hitler and his inner circle of intellectuals (influenced by Wagner and Heidegger) all possessed views inimical to Nietzsche`s goal of overcoming.

Considering the fact that much of Nietzsche`s work is devoted to refuting Platonism, Pauline Christianity, and Wagner`s anti-Semitism it should be clear to my readers by now, that Nietzsche can in no way be associated with National Socialism. Nietzsche states in the Will to Power: Regarding German culture, I have always had the feeling of decline....The Germans always come after the others, much later: they are carrying something in the depths; " "(Will to Power p. 56) In this passage, Nietzsche lists Wagner as one of these things emerging from the depths. In this case, Wagner emerged from the depths of the guilty spirit of vengeance.

Henceforth, a populace of vengeance-minded Pauline Christians emerged from these depths years after Nietzsche`s death. These were certainly not Nietzscheans, or hardly even Heidegger`s apostles for the most part. They were a people infected with an ages old hateful nihilism. It should be clear by now that Nietzsche`s work was devoted to ending this nihilism. The nihilism of National Socialism was precisely what Nietzsche preached against!