Nietzsche distinguishes four kinds of history: “scientific,” “monumental,” “antiquarian,” and “critical.” Scientific history, history as mere information, he claims, harms life. Nineteenth-century culture is so “oversaturated” by information about past and alien cultures that it is succumbing to moral “chaos” which leads to loss of moral confidence and thence to nihilism. Such “chaos” is what the postmodernists call “the postmodern condition,” but Nietzsche shows the “condition” arrived not, as they suppose, in the mid-twentieth century, but almost a century earlier. “Monumental” history is the ethical tradition of a community embodied in its “exemplars” of moral greatness. Antiquarian history is “love” of and “loyalty” to those exemplars. “Critical” history, the critical deconstruction of a former “monument,” enables an ethical tradition to develop and adapt. Collectively, monumental, antiquarian, and critical history benefit “life” by providing a flexible moral framework. Each, however, can be harmful through misuse. Critical history can be especially harmful because it easily metastasizes and “annihilates” not just “a part” of ethical tradition, but all of it. This hastens the arrival of the nihilism that is already threatened by “scientific” history. I argue that contemporary “cancel culture” is just metastasized critical history. That it indeed harms life is shown by the poor mental health of teenage “liberals” compared with that of teenage “conservatives.”

尼采区分了四种历史：“科学的”、“纪念性的”、“古董性的”和“批判性的”。他声称，科学历史、仅仅作为信息的历史会伤害生命。十九世纪的文化对过去和外来文化的信息如此“过度饱和”，以至于它屈服于道德“混乱”，从而导致道德信心的丧失，从而导致虚无主义。这种“混乱”就是后现代主义者所说的“后现代状况”，但尼采表明，这种“状况”并不像他们想象的那样在二十世纪中叶出现，而是早了近一个世纪。“纪念性”历史是一个社区的道德传统，体现在其道德伟大的“典范”中。古史就是对那些典范的“热爱”和“忠诚”。“批判”历史，对前“纪念碑”的批判性解构，”使道德传统得以发展和适应。总的来说，纪念性历史、古物历史和批判历史通过提供灵活的道德框架而有益于“生活”。然而，每一种都可能因滥用而有害。批判历史尤其有害，因为它很容易转移和“消灭”，不仅是道德传统的“一部分”，而且是全部。这加速了已经受到“科学”历史威胁的虚无主义的到来。我认为当代的“取消文化”只是批判历史的转移。与青少年“保守派”相比，“自由派”青少年的心理健康状况较差，这表明它确实危害了生命。批判历史尤其有害，因为它很容易转移和“消灭”，不仅是道德传统的“一部分”，而且是全部。这加速了已经受到“科学”历史威胁的虚无主义的到来。我认为当代的“取消文化”只是批判历史的转移。与青少年“保守派”相比，“自由派”青少年的心理健康状况较差，这表明它确实危害了生命。批判历史尤其有害，因为它很容易转移和“消灭”，不仅是道德传统的“一部分”，而且是全部。这加速了已经受到“科学”历史威胁的虚无主义的到来。我认为当代的“取消文化”只是批判历史的转移。与青少年“保守派”相比，“自由派”青少年的心理健康状况较差，这表明它确实危害了生命。