Life of Friedrich Nietzsche
- Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a German philosopher, poet, and cultural critic whose works have had a profound influence on modern intellectual history. He is best known for his critiques of traditional morality and religion, and his promotion of a “will to power” as the basis of human existence. Nietzsche’s writings have been highly influential in the development of existentialism, postmodernism, and nihilism.
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- Nietzsche was born in Röcken, Prussia, in His father, Carl Ludwig Nietzsche, was a Lutheran pastor, and his mother, Franziska Oehler, was a homemaker. Nietzsche was a precocious child, and was already reading by the age of five. He attended the prestigious Schulpforta boarding school, where he excelled academically and was exposed to the works of the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer.
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- Nietzsche studied classical philology at the University of Bonn, and later at the University of Leipzig. During this time, he developed an interest in the works of the ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates. He also became acquainted with the works of the German philosopher, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling.
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- In 1869, Nietzsche was appointed professor of classical philology at the University of Basel in Switzerland. During this time, he wrote his first book, The Birth of Tragedy, which was published in In this book, Nietzsche argued that the ancient Greeks had developed a unique form of tragedy that was based on the Dionysian principle of “ecstasy”.
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- In 1879, Nietzsche resigned from his position at the University of Basel and began a period of wandering throughout Europe. During this time, he wrote several of his most famous works, including Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Beyond Good and Evil, and The Antichrist. In these works, Nietzsche developed his philosophy of “the will to power”, which argued that the only way to achieve true freedom was to embrace one’s own power and to reject traditional morality and religion.
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- In 1889, Nietzsche suffered a mental breakdown and was institutionalized for the remainder of his life. During this time, he wrote his final works, including Ecce Homo and The Will to Power. Nietzsche died in 1900, at the age of
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- Nietzsche’s influence on modern thought is difficult to overstate. His critiques of traditional morality and religion have been highly influential in the development of existentialism, postmodernism, and nihilism. His promotion of the “will to power” as the basis of human existence has been widely adopted by modern thinkers. His works have also been highly influential in the development of psychoanalysis, and his ideas have been used to explain the behavior of dictators such as Adolf Hitler.
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- Nietzsche’s legacy is complex and often controversial. He has been both praised and criticized for his radical views on morality and religion. Nevertheless, his influence on modern thought is undeniable, and his works continue to be widely read and studied.
Teachings of Friedrich Nietzsche
- Life is an ongoing process of becoming.
- God is dead.
- There is no absolute truth.
- The world is will to power.
- The individual is more important than society.
- Life is a creative act.
- We must create our own values.
- We must embrace our suffering.
- We must accept the eternal recurrence of life.
- We must strive for self-mastery.
- We must embrace our passions.
- We must strive for excellence.
- We must strive for self-overcoming.
- We must embrace our mortality.
- We must strive for self-knowledge.
- We must strive for self-transformation.
- We must strive for self-realization.
- We must strive for self-expression.
- We must strive for self-creation.
- We must strive for self-fulfillment.