Thus Spoke Zarathustra

XIII. Chastity.

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Contents

  1. Zarathustra’s Prologue.
  2. I. The Three Metamorphoses.
  3. II. The Academic Chairs of Virtue.
  4. III. Backworldsmen.
  5. IV. The Despisers of the Body.
  6. V. Joys and Passions.
  7. VI. The Pale Criminal.
  8. VII. Reading and Writing.
  9. VIII. The Tree on the Hill.
  10. IX. The Preachers of Death.
  11. X. War and Warriors.
  12. XI. The New Idol.
  13. XII. The Flies in the Market-Place.
  14. XIII. Chastity.
  15. XIV. The Friend.
  16. XV. The Thousand and One Goals.
  17. XVI. Neighbour-Love.
  18. XVII. The Way of the Creating One.
  19. XVIII. Old and Young Women.
  20. XIX. The Bite of the Adder.
  21. XX. Child and Marriage.
  22. XXI. Voluntary Death.
  23. XXII. The Bestowing Virtue.
  24. Second Part.
  25. XXIII. The Child with the Mirror.
  26. XXIV. In the Happy Isles.
  27. XXV. The Pitiful.
  28. XXVI. The Priests.
  29. XXVII. The Virtuous.
  30. XXVIII. The Rabble.
  31. XXIX. The Tarantulas.
  32. XXX. The Famous Wise Ones.
  33. XXXI. The Night-Song.
  34. XXXII. The Dance-Song.
  35. XXXIII. The Grave-Song.
  36. XXXIV. Self-Surpassing.
  37. XXXV. The Sublime Ones.
  38. XXXVI. The Land of Culture.
  39. XXXVII. Immaculate Perception.
  40. XXXVIII. Scholars.
  41. XXXIX. Poets.
  42. XL. Great Events.
  43. XLI. The Soothsayer.
  44. XLII. Redemption.
  45. XLIII. Manly Prudence.
  46. XLIV. The Stillest Hour.
  47. Third Part.
  48. XLV. The Wanderer.
  49. XLVI. The Vision and the Enigma.
  50. XLVII. Involuntary Bliss.
  51. XLVIII. Before Sunrise.
  52. XLIX. The Bedwarfing Virtue.
  53. L. On the Olive-Mount.
  54. LI. On Passing-By.
  55. LII. The Apostates.
  56. LIII. The Return Home.
  57. LIV. The Three Evil Things.
  58. LV. The Spirit of Gravity.
  59. LVI. Old and New Tables.
  60. LVII. The Convalescent.
  61. LVIII. The Great Longing.
  62. LIX. The Second Dance-Song.
  63. LX. The Seven Seals.
  64. Fourth and Last Part.
  65. LXI. The Honey Sacrifice.
  66. LXII. The Cry of Distress.
  67. LXIII. Talk with the Kings.
  68. LXIV. The Leech.
  69. LXV. The Magician.
  70. LXVI. Out of Service.
  71. LXVII. The Ugliest Man.
  72. LXVIII. The Voluntary Beggar.
  73. LXIX. The Shadow.
  74. LXX. Noontide.
  75. LXXI. The Greeting.
  76. LXXII. The Supper.
  77. LXXIII. The Higher Man.
  78. LXXIV. The Song of Melancholy.
  79. LXXV. Science.
  80. LXXVI. Among Daughters of the Desert.
  81. LXXVII. The Awakening.
  82. LXXVIII. The Ass-Festival.
  83. LXXIX. The Drunken Song.
  84. LXXX. The Sign.

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Thus Spoke Zarathustra

XIII. Chastity.

Chapter 14 of 842 min

I love the forest. It is bad to live in cities: there, there are too many of the lustful.

Is it not better to fall into the hands of a murderer, than into the dreams of a lustful woman?

And just look at these men: their eye saith it—they know nothing better on earth than to lie with a woman.

Filth is at the bottom of their souls; and alas! if their filth hath still spirit in it!

Would that ye were perfect—at least as animals! But to animals belongeth innocence.

Do I counsel you to slay your instincts? I counsel you to innocence in your instincts.

Do I counsel you to chastity? Chastity is a virtue with some, but with many almost a vice.

These are continent, to be sure: but doggish lust looketh enviously out of all that they do.

Even into the heights of their virtue and into their cold spirit doth this creature follow them, with its discord.

And how nicely can doggish lust beg for a piece of spirit, when a piece of flesh is denied it!

Ye love tragedies and all that breaketh the heart? But I am distrustful of your doggish lust.

Ye have too cruel eyes, and ye look wantonly towards the sufferers. Hath not your lust just disguised itself and taken the name of fellow-suffering?

And also this parable give I unto you: Not a few who meant to cast out their devil, went thereby into the swine themselves.

To whom chastity is difficult, it is to be dissuaded: lest it become the road to hell—to filth and lust of soul.

Do I speak of filthy things? That is not the worst thing for me to do.

Not when the truth is filthy, but when it is shallow, doth the discerning one go unwillingly into its waters.

Verily, there are chaste ones from their very nature; they are gentler of heart, and laugh better and oftener than you.

They laugh also at chastity, and ask: “What is chastity?

Is chastity not folly? But the folly came unto us, and not we unto it.

We offered that guest harbour and heart: now it dwelleth with us—let it stay as long as it will!”—

Thus spake Zarathustra.

End of chapter