Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (b. October 15, 1844, Röcken, Germany-d. August 25, 1900, Weimar, Germany) was a German philosopher, classical philologist, poet, and composer. He wrote several dozen books and essays between 1870 and 1890, the active period of his career, on a variety of topics, including religion, morality and ethics, culture, philosophy, music, and science. His writings are notable for their poetic use of metaphor, irony, sarcasm, and aphorisms.

Beliefs and influence

Nietzsche's influence remains substantial within and beyond philosophy, notably in existentialism and postmodernism. His style and radical questioning of the value and objectivity of truth have resulted in much commentary and interpretation, mostly in the continental tradition. Key concepts in Nietzsche's thought include the death of God, perspectivism (sometimes "perspectivalism"), the Übermensch (sometimes translated as "Overman" or "Superman"), the eternal recurrence, and the will to power. Central to his philosophy is the process of "life-affirmation" and the creation and promotion of values that are life-affirming. This process involves a rigorous and unmerciful questioning of all doctrines that may run counter to life and its goals, especially focusing on views that are socially prevalent and, therefore, powerful.

Life history

Nietzsche spent much of his youth studying the Bible and classical texts, especially those of ancient Greece, and began his career as a classical philologist. At age 24, he was appointed to the Chair of Classical Philology at the University of Basel (the youngest individual to have held this position), but resigned in 1879 due to health problems that plagued him most of his life. During the decade 1879-1889, in spite of his failing health, Nietzsche was at his most prolific as a writer, writing and publishing many of his most famous works, including finishing 5 complete books in the year 1888 alone. In 1889, he became mentally ill with what was then characterized as atypical general paresis attributed to tertiary syphilis, a diagnosis that has since come into question. He lived his remaining years in the care of his mother until her death in 1897, then under the care of his sister until his death in 1900.