Nietzsche, At the Turning Point of the Century: New Edition

Author: Zhou Guoping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: In the history of Western philosophy, Nietzsche has always been a controversial figure. Nietzsche once proposed the slogan of "re-evaluating all values," yet since the end of World War II, he himself has become an object of re-evaluation. This is not surprising. History is advancing steadily, the world is changing rapidly, and people's thoughts, ideas, perspectives, as well as the standards and methods for evaluating things, will inevitably change along with it. The evaluation of people is not static either; the saying "judgment after death" seems to contradict dialectics. As time passes, things that were once incomprehensible may now become understandable, and things that were once neglected or abandoned may now be valued and new meanings extracted from them. Are there few such examples in history? In China, the fate of Nietzsche's philosophy has not been auspicious. At the beginning of the last century, when it was first introduced to China, it became popular among some intellectuals for a time, but then it was distorted and exploited by certain individuals, aligning with the "Nietzsche fever" stirred up by German fascists. Since then, it has been burdened with various negative reputations. Despite Nietzsche's growing influence in contemporary Western society, we have not published a single book on Nietzsche or research works by Chinese scholars commenting on him in the past three decades. This situation cannot be considered normal. What kind of person was Nietzsche? What new philosophical questions did he raise? What is his connection to the modern era? What role and influence has he had on the development of modern Western thought? To this day, not only among readers but also among many comrades in the philosophy circles, there is still confusion. This lag in Nietzsche studies hinders our deep understanding of the development of modern Western thought. Therefore, seriously studying Nietzsche and conducting a scientific re-evaluation of his philosophy in accordance with its true nature is indeed an important task for Western philosophy research in China. Comrade Zhou Guoping's work is a preliminary attempt to re-evaluate Nietzsche. Based on a thorough study of Nietzsche's life and works and his own independent thinking, he has proposed some views that differ significantly from conventional understandings. I believe this is something that should be welcomed. I hope readers do not misunderstand this work as a defense of Nietzsche. Before the historical court, only the weak need defense, and Nietzsche is certainly not weak. What he needs is not defense but understanding. The work provides a new understanding of Nietzsche. Nietzsche's philosophy is a product of a certain stage of capitalist society and uniquely foreshadowed the profound spiritual crisis in modern Western society. Therefore, when studying Nietzsche's philosophy, it is essential to fully account for its duality and complexity. When dealing with complex matters, it is particularly important to conduct thorough research, respect objective facts, and analyze specific situations from a Marxist perspective, methodology, and standpoint. It is crucial to avoid starting from simplistic rules and being constrained by preconceived notions, making metaphysical conclusions based on secondhand information. Starting from actual conditions and conducting specific analysis of specific matters is the soul of Marxist dialectics. When studying figures and ideas in the history of philosophy, we must never forget this point. Of course, in the process of research and analysis, differing opinions and perspectives are inevitable, especially when it comes to figures like Nietzsche, who may receive different or even opposing evaluations. I believe that there can be no "uniformity of opinion" on such academic issues. The only correct solution is to allow for free and extensive discussion, improving our understanding through "a hundred schools contending" and enabling a truly Marxist, scientific explanation of Nietzsche's philosophy based on a deep understanding. If Comrade Zhou Guoping's work can spark readers' interest in Nietzsche's philosophy, encourage them to reconsider the questions he raised, and promote research and discussion on Nietzsche, then it will have done a great service to Western philosophy research in China. Yu Xin