Friedrich Nietzsche

1844 - 1900 | German Philosopher & Cultural Critic

Early Life & Background

Born in Röcken, Prussia, to a Lutheran pastor who died when Friedrich was only four, Nietzsche was raised in a household of pious women - his mother, sister, grandmother, and two aunts. Despite this religious upbringing, he would become one of Christianity's most fierce critics. A brilliant student, he excelled in classical languages and literature, eventually becoming the youngest person ever appointed to a professorship at the University of Basel at age 24.

Academic Career & Early Works

As a professor of classical philology, Nietzsche initially focused on ancient Greek culture, producing "The Birth of Tragedy" (1872), which argued that Greek greatness emerged from the tension between Apollonian rationality and Dionysian passion. His friendship with composer Richard Wagner deeply influenced this period, though they would later have a bitter falling-out over Wagner's anti-Semitism and German nationalism.

Health Crisis & Wandering Years

Chronic illness forced Nietzsche to resign his professorship in 1879. He spent the next decade as a wandering invalid, moving between Switzerland, Italy, and southern France in search of climates that might ease his severe migraines, digestive problems, and near-blindness. Paradoxically, these years of physical suffering were his most productive philosophically, as he developed his mature philosophy while living in increasing isolation.

Major Works

• "The Gay Science" (1882) - "God is dead" and eternal recurrence
• "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" (1883-1885) - The Übermensch and will to power
• "Beyond Good and Evil" (1886) - Critique of moral absolutism
• "On the Genealogy of Morals" (1887) - Origins of moral values
• "The Antichrist" (1888) - Radical critique of Christianity

Core Philosophy

Nietzsche developed several revolutionary concepts: the will to power as the fundamental drive of all life, the Übermensch (overman) as humanity's potential for self-creation, eternal recurrence as the ultimate test of life-affirmation, and the revaluation of all values. He argued that strong individuals must create their own values rather than accepting inherited moral systems, especially Christian "slave morality" which he saw as life-denying.

"What does not kill me makes me stronger."

Mental Collapse

In January 1889, Nietzsche suffered a complete mental breakdown in Turin, Italy, reportedly after embracing a horse being beaten in the street. The exact cause remains debated - possibly syphilis, brain tumor, or inherited mental illness. He spent his remaining eleven years in the care of his mother and sister, unable to write or recognize most visitors, a tragic end for one of history's most brilliant minds.

Misappropriation & Controversy

After his death, Nietzsche's sister Elisabeth, an anti-Semite and German nationalist, edited and distorted his writings to support Nazi ideology. This tragic misappropriation obscured Nietzsche's actual views - he despised anti-Semitism, nationalism, and mass politics. Modern scholarship has restored understanding of his true philosophical positions, though controversy about interpretation continues.

Lasting Legacy

Nietzsche profoundly influenced 20th-century philosophy, psychology, literature, and culture. Existentialists, postmodernists, and psychoanalysts drew on his insights about the human condition, while artists and writers found inspiration in his celebration of creativity and individual self-creation. His diagnosis of nihilism and his call for new values continue to resonate in an age questioning traditional authorities and seeking authentic meaning. Whether celebrated or criticized, Nietzsche remains one of the most influential and provocative thinkers in Western philosophy.