On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life by Friedrich Nietzsche (Author), Peter Preuss (Translator)

Written in 1874 as part of his second Untimely Meditation, Friedrich Nietzsche’s Vom Nutzen und Nachteil der Historie für das Leben or On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life, considers the proper functioning of history in service to human (and specifically German) life and culture.

At the outset of his essay, Nietzsche distinguishes between advantageous and disadvantageous historical awareness. The “historical fever” in Germany at the time of writing is a disease in the culture. In the essay, his intention is to explicate its symptoms and antidotes.