LXXV. Science

Thus sang the magician; and all who were present went like birds unawares into the net of his artful and melancholy voluptuousness. Only the spiritually conscientious one had not been caught: he at once snatched the…

After the magician's song, the conscientious one snatches the harp and calls for fresh air and for Zarathustra. He accuses the magician of tempting free spirits back into prison. The magician answers that the man has understood little of the song.

“Thou praisest me,” replied the conscientious one, “in that thou separatest me from thyself; very well! But, ye others, what do I see? Ye still sit there, all of you, with lusting eyes—: Ye free spirits, whither hath…

He says the free spirits' souls dance like those of men watching naked dancers. He seeks security, while they seem to crave horror, danger and the life of wild beasts. He judges that longing actually impossible.

For fear—that is man’s original and fundamental feeling; through fear everything is explained, original sin and original virtue.

He claims fear of wild animals, and of the beast within, is man's oldest feeling. Grown spiritual, it is what is now called science.

Courage, however, and adventure, and delight in the uncertain, in the unattempted—COURAGE seemeth to me the entire primitive history of man.

Zarathustra returns, laughs, throws roses and calls the conscientious one's truth a folly. He says fear is the exception and courage the whole primitive history of man. That courage, grown spiritual, with eagle's pinions and serpent's wisdom, is what is now called Zarathustra.

“ZARATHUSTRA!” cried all of them there assembled, as if with one voice, and burst out at the same time into a great laughter; there arose, however, from them as it were a heavy cloud. Even the magician laughed, and said…

The company cries out 'Zarathustra!' and laughs, and the magician says his evil spirit is gone. He teases that Zarathustra loves his enemies but takes revenge on his friends. Zarathustra goes round shaking hands, then longs for the good air and his animals and wishes to steal out.