The Dawn

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche / Tian Linian / 刘丽霞East China Normal University Press · ChinaFeb 2024

Rating 4.4
Word count
215K words
Chapters
11
ISBN
9787576032642

Tags

Western Philosophy History of PhilosophyHumanistic CareComplex HumanityPsychological InsightIntellectual EnlightenmentSlow ReadingBehavioral InsightWestern ThoughtAcademic StudySelf-Reflection

Summary

First published in 1881, Daybreak consists of five books comprising more than 500 aphorisms of varying length; the 1887 edition added a "Preface" with longer paragraphs. In the history of his works, Daybreak is one of Nietzsche's middle-period masterpieces, situated between Human, All Too Human, Volume II (1880) and The Gay Science (1881). In this book Nietzsche undertakes an in-depth inquiry into moral questions—it is "a prejudice against moral prejudices."

Among Nietzsche's "three metamorphoses" of the spirit (camel, lion, child), Daybreak plays a role akin to the lion, boldly intruding into the hunting preserve of moral principles long regarded as safe ground. To uncover the foundations and abysses of good and evil, the dominant morality has always resisted effectively through persuasion, exhortation, and magic; for this Nietzsche needed two things: one was a mole-like underground mode of operation, foreshadowing Foucault's later archaeology of knowledge and values; the other was "intellectual honesty"—entirely in the spirit of the Enlightenment, Nietzsche united the practical demands of moral effort with the theoretical demand to "dare to know."

Editor's review

Daybreak is a pivotal work from Nietzsche's transitional period, marking the shift in his philosophical inquiry from his early fascination with Wagner and Schopenhauer toward more independent, mature critical thinking. Written in aphoristic form, the book ranges across morality, religion, art, science, and other domains, displaying Nietzsche's profound insight into the crisis of European culture. Here Nietzsche systematically applies for the first time a "genealogical" method, deconstructing moral values and probing their origins and motives—an approach later developed more fully in On the Genealogy of Morality. Reading Daybreak, one not only feels Nietzsche's incisive style—like "philosophizing with a hammer"—but also glimpses the first stirrings of his ambition to "revalue all values." This translation, published by East China Normal University Press, is fluent and richly annotated, offering Chinese readers a reliable gateway into this intellectually dense work. For readers who wish to understand the trajectory of Nietzsche's philosophy in depth—especially how his critical thinking took shape—Daybreak is an indispensable key text.

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Reading tips

  1. It is recommended to first read Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy or Untimely Meditations to understand the background of his early thought before turning to Daybreak.
  2. This book rewards slow reading and repeated rumination; there is no need to finish it in one sitting—read a few aphorisms a day and reflect on them.
  3. Reading alongside the translator's notes and related introductory materials helps clarify the specific historical and philosophical contexts Nietzsche critiques.

About the publisher

East China Normal University Press China · Founded in 1957

Adhering to the publishing purpose of "broad education," East China Normal University Press extends beyond its three main areas of textbooks, academic works and general-interest books, and its catalogue clearly reflects a vision that bridges Chinese and foreign humanities and social sciences. In foreign literature it offers classics such as Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country and The Old Capital (translated by Chen Dewen), Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and Rilke's annotated edition of The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (translated by Chen Zao); in architecture, Chen Congzhou's two-volume Appreciation Dictionary of Chinese Gardens; in social psychology, The Social Animal: 12th Edition; and it also includes philosophy titles, traditional-culture works such as the six-volume Paintings for the Protection of Life, and education books. Its authors include renowned Chinese and foreign writers and skilled translators, showing a publishing profile that balances classic translation, scholarly accumulation and public reading. Public information is limited; the above is based only on the books in the catalogue.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 出版说明
  3. KSA版编者说明
  4. Pütz版编者说明
  5. 前言
  6. 卷一
  7. 卷二
  8. 卷三
  9. 卷四
  10. 卷五
  11. 尼采的朝霞（代后记）

FAQ

Where does Daybreak stand among Nietzsche's works? Published in 1881, Daybreak is a representative work of Nietzsche's middle period, situated between his early championing of classical culture and his later mature critical philosophy; it is a key marker of his thought's "transition" and "liberation."
What is the writing style of this book? Is it difficult to understand? The book is written in aphorisms (maxims), composed of hundreds of relatively independent fragments. The thought is condensed and highly跳跃—readers may find it scattered at first. Its difficulty lies not in obscure language but in its high density of thought, which requires the reader's active association and reflection.
What are the features of this edition? The East China Normal University Press edition belongs to the "Classics and Interpretation" series or a related collection and typically emphasizes scholarship, including a translator's introduction, detailed annotations, and necessary background notes. For readers seriously studying Nietzsche's thought, it is a reliable choice.

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About the author

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche Author · Germany · 1844–1900

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844–1900) was a German philosopher, classical philologist, and poet. At the age of 24 he became professor of classical philology at the University of Basel; in 1879 ill health forced him to resign his post, after which he traveled in Switzerland and Italy and continued to write. Nietzsche put forward ideas such as “God is dead,” the “will to power,” the “overman,” and “eternal recurrence.” His works span philosophy, literature, and poetry, and his style often proceeds through aphorisms, maxims, and metaphors, combining argumentative sharpness with poetic tension; he has had a profound influence on existentialism and postmodernism. His major works include The Birth of Tragedy, The Gay Science, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Beyond Good and Evil, On the Genealogy of Morality, and The Will to Power.

Tian Linian Author · Chinese

Tian Linian is a Chinese philosophy scholar and translator. He holds a PhD in philosophy from Peking University and has worked as a visiting scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities at Zhejiang University, Humboldt University of Berlin, and the University of Greifswald. His academic work centers on Nietzsche's philosophy, and the four works listed here all belong to this field, including translations of The Birth of Tragedy, Daybreak, and Daybreak: Thoughts on the Prejudices of Morality. These works are commonly classified under foreign literature, philosophy readers, and Western philosophy, and are intended for Chinese readers who wish to engage directly with Nietzsche's original texts. Public information about his life is limited; his confirmed contributions lie mainly in translation and Nietzsche studies, through which he has provided Chinese readers with a relatively reliable textual basis for understanding Nietzsche's thought.

刘丽霞 Author

Liu Lixia is an author about whom limited public information is available. Three of her works are included in the database, spanning such varied fields as Western philosophy, law, and computer science, namely Morning Glow (Chaoxia), Essential Legal Knowledge for College Students in the New Era, and Project 2013 Project Management Standard Tutorial. Judging from this range, her writing is not confined to a single discipline: it engages with the reading and interpretation of philosophical texts, introduces legal knowledge to university students, and provides an operating tutorial for project management software. This cross-disciplinary choice of topics reflects a strong capacity for organizing knowledge and for practical writing that balances theoretical popularization with skill instruction. Morning Glow is associated with the Western philosophy category, Essential Legal Knowledge for College Students in the New Era focuses on spreading basic legal understanding, and Project 2013 Project Management Standard Tutorial serves the learning needs of software application. Because reliable records of her dates, nationality, and education are unavailable, a complete biography cannot be drawn, yet her existing works already show a writing approach aimed at different readerships and attentive to the practical value of knowledge.