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?