The Birth of The Birth of Tragedy 7.5times feign contrition but are unwilling to forgo exploitation in the serv-
ice of culture. Thus, if art justifies our existence aesthetically, it does so
on the foundation of "cruelty" (1,768; TGS).
This "cruelty in the essence of every culture" confirmed for Nietzsche
that existence is an "eternal wound" (1,115; BT% 18). The remedy of art,
which is its aesthetic justification, holds the wound open. People are sac-
rificed for the beauty of art, which is why the existence of art adds a fur-
ther injustice to the wretched state of the world. For this reason,
Nietzsche was also prepared to experience guilt in defending slavery,
because he was one of those privileged few who could enjoy the aes-
thetic justification of the world. He knew that his own existence was
built on the sacrifice of others. In a letter of June 21,1871, he rebuked
his friend Gersdorff, who had arrogandy railed at the culturally hostile
mob in Paris. Nietzsche wrote that scholarly and artistic life seemed an
"absurdity" in view of the fact that the brilliant works of centuries could
be undone by an act of vandalism within minutes. He had clung to the
"metaphysical value of art, which cannot exist merely for the sake of
poor human beings, but instead must fulfill higher missions."
"However," he went on to write, "even when my pain was at its worst, I
was unable to cast a stone against those villains, who struck me as noth-
ing more than bearers of a general guilt, which ought to give us food for
thought!" (B 3,204).
Nietzsche applied the expression "general guilt" to the iconoclastic
Paris Commune in this particular instance, but he also extended it to the
culpability of art in general, which profits from the injustice of the
world and even from "slavery." He did not sidestep the problem, but
openly avowed the postulate that if we wanted to do away with this guilt-
ridden entanglement of art, we would have to destroy the principle of
every advanced culture. One thing was certain: the principles of equality
and justice, taken to their logical conclusion, would unleash hostility on
culture. But because art also profits from injustice, those who enjoy the
privilege of partaking in art have no right to lapse into arrogance. They
need to remain aware of the link between art and guilt.