Could one count such dilettantes and old spinsters as that mawkish apostle of virginity, Mainlander, as a genuine German? In the last analysis he probably was a Jew (all Jews become mawkish when they moralize).
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Nietzsche mocks the moralizing, sentimental attitudes of certain people, suggesting they are driven by a hidden identity that makes them overly emotional.
- In plain terms
- He says moralizing sentimental people are secretly driven by hidden motives.
- What can you take from it?
- Beware of moralizing that hides personal bias.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What assumptions do we make about people's motives?
- How does sentimentality affect judgment?
Another view
The statement relies on anti‑Jewish stereotypes that are offensive and inaccurate.
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