Der „Jahrmarkts-Geschmacke“ der Moderne. Nietzsches Gegenwartskritik im Spiegel des Marktes

Abstract The marketplace functions in Nietzsche’s writings as a mirror for modern society. This paper offers a systematic reading of his critique of modernity through the metaphor of the market. The first section analyzes the modern marketplace of attention, where deafeningly yelling i. e. advertising has become a necessary rule of competition. The second section examines the “great actors” whom Nietzsche assigns to the marketplace, arguing that the growing admiration for the actor type is inseparable from the taste of modern public. The third section discusses the market-fair kind of colorfulness of the modern ideas, which signals a lack of cultural unity despite its seemingly rich facade. Ultimately, the paper exemplifies how a philosopher-type positions himself toward the modern “century of market-fair” by comparatively reflecting on Zarathustra’s call to flee the marketplace and Nietzsche’s actual practice, demonstrating that escaping society can serve as the preparation for a better comeback toward the future.