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know about these matters, that they did not even come in sight of the real problems of morals⁠—problems which only disclose themselves by a comparison of many kinds of morality. In every “Science of Morals” hitherto, strange as it may sound, the problem of morality itself has been omitted : there has been no suspicion that there was anything problematic there! That which philosophers called “giving a basis to morality,” and endeavoured to realize, has, when seen in a right light, proved merely a learned form of good faith in prevailing morality, a new means of its expression , consequently just a matter-of-fact within the sphere of a definite morality, yea, in its ultimate motive, a sort of denial that it is lawful for this morality to be called in question⁠—and in any case the reverse of the testing, analyzing, doubting, and vivisecting of this very faith. Hear, for instance, with what innocence⁠—almost worthy of honour⁠—Schopenhauer represents his own task, and draw your conclusions concerning the scientificness of a “Science” whose latest master still talks in the strain of children and old wives: “The principle,” he says (page 136 of the Grundprobleme der Ethik ), “the axiom about the purport of which all moralists are practically agreed: neminem laede, immo omnes quantum potes juva ⁠—is really the proposition which all moral teachers strive to establish,⁠ ⁠… the real basis of ethics which has been sought, like the philosopher’s stone, for centuries.”⁠—The difficulty of establishing the proposition referred to may indeed be great⁠—it is well known that Schopenhauer also was unsuccessful in his efforts; and whoever has thoroughly realized how absurdly false and sentimental this proposition is, in a world whose essence is Will to Power, may be reminded that Schopenhauer, although a pessimist, actually ⁠—played the flute⁠ ⁠… daily after dinner: one may read about the matter in his biography. A question by the way: a pessimist, a repudiator of God and of the world, who makes a halt at morality⁠—who assents to morality, and plays the flute to laede-neminem morals, what? Is that really⁠—a pessimist?