When 'She' Becomes 'man': Nietzsche’s Wordplay and the Hidden Costs of Translation

Introduction

Can translation ever fully capture the essence of a philosophical text? This question invites us to explore the challenges of transferring deep ideas across linguistic borders. Many readers rely on translations of classic works, often overlooking the intricate subtleties woven into the original language. These nuances, when lost or distorted in the adaptation, can lead to misinterpretations of complex arguments.

This article contends that engaging directly with philosophical texts in their original form—or at least consulting bilingual editions—is crucial for preserving conceptual fidelity. Drawing on theories from linguistics and translation studies, the discussion illustrates how language shapes interpretation. By examining Friedrich Nietzsche’s §239 of Beyond Good and Evil as a case study, we highlight the potential pitfalls of interpretation, particularly regarding key terms such as “man” and “Herr”, which carry multiple layers of meaning in German. The analysis underscores the broader implications of linguistic transference for philosophical inquiry and the necessity of linguistic precision in conveying nuanced arguments.

The Fragility of Meaning in Translation: A Linguistic Perspective

“It is an error of method to proceed from words in order to give definitions of things.” (Course in General Linguistics)

Ferdinand de Saussure’s linguistic theory emphasizes that signification emerges not from individual words in isolation but from the system of differences among linguistic signs. This insight presents a fundamental challenge for translation, as no two languages encode meaning in precisely the same way. Saussure illustrates this difficulty when discussing the terms la langue, la parole, and le langage, noting that their counterparts in German and Latin do not map onto them exactly:

“Thus in German the word Sprache covers individual languages as well as language in general, while Rede answers more or less to ‘speech,’ but also has the special sense of ‘discourse.’ In Latin, the word sermo covers language in general and also speech, while lingua is the word for ‘a language’; and so on. No word corresponds precisely to any one of the notions we have tried to specify above. That is why all definitions based on words are vain. It is an error of method to proceed from words in order to give definitions of things.” (Course in General Linguistics)

“Ainsi en allemand Sprache veut dire ‘langue’ et ‘langage’ ; Rede correspond à peu près à ‘parole’, mais y ajoute le sens spécial de ‘discours’. En latin sermo signifie plutôt ‘langage’ et ‘parole’, tandis que lingua désigne la langue, et ainsi de suite. Aucun mot ne correspond exactement à l’une des notions précisées plus haut ; c’est pourquoi toute définition faite à propos d’un mot est vaine ; c’est une mauvaise méthode que de partir des mots pour définir les choses.”

Comparing the original French text above with its English rendition further illustrates the point: no translation can fully capture the network of relationships between words. This issue becomes even more pronounced in philosophical texts, where meaning is embedded within a broader theoretical framework. The challenge for translators is not only to find equivalent words but also to preserve the intricate interplay of ideas and connotations intended by the original thinker.

This difficulty is exemplified in the passage above by Roy Harris’s translation of Saussure’s terms la langue, la parole, and le langage into English. Harris attempts to render these concepts using phrases such as “individual languages,” “language in general,” “a language” and “speech,” yet these approximations fail to fully encapsulate their French counterparts. His struggle highlights the core issue at stake: translation is not a mere exchange of words but an interpretive act that inevitably reshapes meaning. This underscores the broader argument of this article—namely, that philosophical translation risks distorting key concepts, making engagement with original texts, whenever possible, essential for accurate interpretation.

Just as Saussure’s technical terms resist direct rendition, Nietzsche’s rhetorical and linguistic choices in Beyond Good and Evil reveal another layer of difficulty: the philosophical argument itself can be reshaped or flattened when key wordplays and ambiguities are lost in translation.

Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil §239 as a Case Study

Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil provides a striking example of how the process of rendition can dilute the subtlety of philosophical language. Section 239 critiques power dynamics and gender roles through carefully crafted linguistic ambiguities that are often flattened in the transference.

In the original German, Nietzsche writes:

„Das schwache Geschlecht ist in keinem Zeitalter mit solcher Achtung von Seiten der Männer behandelt worden als in unserm Zeitalter …“
"The weak sex has never been treated with such respect by men in any age as in our age …"

Later in the passage, Nietzsche uses the impersonal pronoun man in a deliberately ambiguous way—its sound echoing Mann (man)—blurring the distinction between the masculine and the feminine:

„Man will mehr, man lernt fordern, man findet zuletzt jenen Achtungszoll beinahe schon kränkend …“
"She wants more, she learns to demand, and in the end, she finds that tribute of respect almost offensive …"

The word man functions both as an impersonal pronoun and as a homophone for Mann. This wordplay is central to Nietzsche’s argument: the qualities he attributes to women in this passage—such as the desire for power and recognition—take on a “manly” quality, implying that women, in their pursuit of emancipation, risk replicating the very structures of domination they seek to escape.

Nietzsche intensifies this idea when he describes women aspiring to become Herr:

„Indem es sich dergestalt neuer Rechte bemächtigt, ‚Herr‘ zu werden …“
"By seizing these new rights, [she] aspires to become ‘Master’ …"

The German word Herr, often translated as “master,” carries explicitly masculine connotations. Depending on context, it can also correspond to "Mister," "Sir," or "Lord." By striving for the title of Herr, women in Nietzsche’s critique do not achieve true liberation but instead risk assuming the same authoritarian position historically occupied by men. Rather than transcending the master-slave dynamic, they merely invert it—an outcome Nietzsche critiques elsewhere in his work.

This linguistic play is not incidental; it encapsulates a key Nietzschean idea. As he suggests in §2 of Beyond Good and Evil:

"It might even be possible that what constitutes the value of those good and honoured things resides precisely in their being artfully related, knotted, and crocheted to these wicked, apparently antithetical things, perhaps even in their being essentially identical with them. Perhaps!"

By framing the struggle for respect and power as an ambiguous exchange between man and Mann, Nietzsche highlights the paradox of emancipation through imitation. The alternative he suggests is not a simple reversal of roles but a process of Selbstüberwindung (self-overcoming), where one transcends the very framework of dominance.

However, when translations render man as a clearly gendered she and Herr as “master,” they erase the very ambiguity that makes Nietzsche’s critique so incisive. This loss of nuance reduces his argument to a straightforward critique of gender roles rather than a complex meditation on power, identity, and transformation. This case study exemplifies why engaging with the original language is crucial for fully grasping Nietzsche’s critique.

Conclusion: Implications for Philosophical Inquiry

Philosophical texts are deeply embedded in the cultural, historical, and linguistic contexts of their time. Delving into these works in their original language offers a richer understanding of the ideas they convey. As seen in the cases of Nietzsche and Saussure, translations often struggle to preserve the intricate wordplay and conceptual layering vital to a text's meaning.

While language barriers can pose challenges, strategies such as consulting bilingual editions, reading scholarly commentaries, and engaging in comparative analysis can help bridge the gap. These approaches allow readers to appreciate how language itself shapes philosophical arguments. Nietzsche’s manipulation of "man" (Mann) and "master" (Herr) in Beyond Good and Evil, along with the subtle interplay of the terms la langue, la parole, and le langage in Saussure’s work, demonstrates the necessity of linguistic precision in transcription and interpretation.

Ultimately, engaging with texts in their authentic linguistic form enhances both scholarly and philosophical inquiry. It fosters deeper insights, prevents misinterpretation, and ensures that the complexity of thought remains intact rather than being flattened by the limitations of translation.

Related Post

Beyond Master and Slave: Hegel’s Dialectic in Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil §239

https://nietzscheanlinguistics.blogspot.com/2025/02/blog-post.html

Bibliography

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Nietzsche, Friedrich. Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future. Translated by R. J. Hollingdale. Introduction by Michael Tanner. London: Penguin Books, 1990.

Saussure, Ferdinand de. 1916. Cours de linguistique générale. Edited by Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye, with Albert Riedlinger. Libraire Payot.

Saussure, Ferdinand de. "Course in General Linguistics." Translated and annotated by Roy Harris. With a new introduction by Roy Harris. Bloomsbury, 2013.

Eco, Umberto. Mouse or Rat? Translation as Negotiation. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003.

Benjamin, Walter. Illuminations: Essays and Reflections. Translated by Harry Zohn. Edited by Hannah Arendt. New York: Schocken Books, 1968.

Venuti, Lawrence. The Translator’s Invisibility: A History of Translation. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2008.