NIETZSCHE'S WORKS AND BELFAST CITY LIBRARY.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] have just heard that the Library Committee of the City of Belfast has come to the decision to remove the works of Nietzsche from the shelves of the Institution under their care. Having besides bad some private information that other libraries may possibly follow suit in this matter, I beg to point out a certain inconvenience which might result from such a decision. Nietzsche's thought, whether we think it pernicious or not, has most certainly influenced a great many writers in the last few decades, some of the most important in England, as well as on the Continent, amongst them. They may have, as many critics hold, mitigated and improved the Nietzschean morality, or they may have, as I personally hold, emasculated or misunderstood the German philosopher : one thing, in my opinion, is quite certain, that it is an injustice to these writers as well as to Nietzsche if even the possibility of a comparison of their views and those of their master is made impossible. And if the pupils are freely admitted, why exclude the source of their inspiration ? There is an additional point to be considered in connexion with this question. Of course, everybody has the right to be a master in his own house, and no one can blame the City of Belfast if it has decided upon exactly the same course as the Pope of Rome, who has like- wise put the works of Friedrich Nietzsche upon the "Index Expurgatorius." I only wish to point out a certain difference between them and their Catholic brethren. For the decision of the Belfast authorities actually forbids the reading of Nietzsche to every reader of the library, while the papal com- mand only concerns the laity, every priest having a perfect right to read Nietzsche or not to read him, just as he likes. And what about the idea of Liberty of Thought for which Protestantism is reputed to stand F—I am, Sir, &c.,
OSCAR LEVY, Editor of the Authorized English version of Nietzsche's works.
[We greatly regret that the Belfast Library Committee has followed the bad example set by the Pope. Library Com- mittees are quite right to exclude nauseous novels from their shelves, but Nietzsche's works ought to be available for students in every large public library. No one is likely to consult volumes of philosophy in order to feed a depraved appetite.—En. Spectator.]
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