This is Nietzsche's critique of contemporary German society, culture, and philosophical engagement, juxtaposed with the philosophical ethos of Arthur Schopenhauer. This unpublished preface, intended for an unfinished book, articulates a lament for what is perceived as the degradation of German culture and education, attributing this decline to a general malaise and superficiality in intellectual and everyday life. Nietzsche begins by depicting modern Germany as a place overwhelmed by a desperate pursuit of happiness and greatness that paradoxically leads to cultural and intellectual mediocrity. This pursuit is portrayed as so dominant and destructive that it requires almost a leap of faith ("credo quia absurdum est") to believe in the possibility of genuine cultural renewal in this context. The critique extends to the German academic and cultural scene, which is described as philistine, historically obsessed but superficial, and ultimately disconnected from the genuine philosophical pursuit exemplified by Schopenhauer. Much of the text is devoted to dissecting the failings of what he calls "the educated man" in Germany. This figure is criticized for a historical consciousness that bypasses the profound and the sublime, opting instead for a comfort in mundane historical detail that shields him from deeper engagement with philosophical or existential truths. This approach to history and culture is seen as emblematic of a broader societal avoidance of the profound challenges and radical ideas presented by thinkers such as Schopenhauer.