Friedrich William Nietzsche, a German philosopher, philologist, and poet, assumed the position of chair of classical philosophy at the University of Basel in 1869 (Nietzsche et al, 2003). His writings cover various subjects including power, consciousness, history, nihilism, aesthetics, cultural theory language morality the meaning of existence and truth. Nietzsche's influence on Western intellectual history and culture has been substantial. He is famous for introducing the concept of the "superman" and examining the decline of religion in modern society.
Friedrich Nietzsche, a well-known philosopher, released multiple works including "Thus spoke Zarathustra" and "Twilight of the idols". His ideas on morality in contemporary society and his writings on individuality significantly influenced many notable thinkers and writers of the 20th century (Nietzsche, 2003).
Nietzsche gained fame for his declaration "God is dead", which signifies his rejection of Christianity as a meaning
...ful force in today's life. He anticipated the decline of metaphysics and traditional religion (Nietzsche et al, 1996). Some scholars argue that Nietzsche dismissed philosophical reasoning and embraced nihilism, advocating for exploring the human condition without concern for conventional notions of knowledge and truth.
Moreover, Nietzsche questioned the portrayal of Christianity as an ideology promoted by churches and criticized their failure to accurately depict the life of Jesus.
The author critiques early Christians for transforming Jesus' life into the story of mankind's redemption and using him as a martyr to manipulate the masses. Nietzsche's ideas about existence, morality, and individuality influenced philosophers like Martin Heidegger and authors like Thomas Mann. Nietzsche glorified conflict, power, cruelty, irrationality, and violence while asserting that moral facts do not exist; these views reflect the somber spirit of his time (Nietzsche, 2003). His influence has
been extensive and profound, with one notable contribution being the concept of the Ubermensch. Although this idea was misused by the Nazi regime, Nietzsche reminds people that they are not the ultimate stage in evolution but rather a bridge towards what comes after humanity—the Ubermensch. He presents it as a goal that humanity can strive for.
According to Nietzsche (2003), an individual should continuously reflect and observe themselves in order to grow in strength and freedom. Amor Fati and the eternal recurrence are important aspects of achieving individual liberation. It is crucial to accept values that shape you and learn to love oneself because one can only overcome obstacles by recognizing them. The concept of eternal recurrence became a cornerstone of Nietzsche's nihilism and eventually influenced existentialism. His ideas have contributed greatly to the development of socialism, pragmatism, and narcissism in contemporary society (Nietzsche et al, 2003). He believed that humanity would require a new guiding force, and as a result, the government would be the only entity left to follow once religion is eliminated.
In his perspective, Nietzsche considered old traditions and religion to hinder humanity's progress and believed that violence might be necessary for evolution. He centered his understanding of religion around the dominance of master morality and the resulting opposition within society. According to Nietzsche, religion is an expression of the will to power, where strict adherence demonstrates deliberate choices highlighting self-discipline and control.
References
- Nietzsche, F. (2003) Beyond good and evil. Penguin
- Nietzsche, F., ; Hollingdale, R. J. (1996). Nietzsche; Human, all too human; A book for free spirits. Cambridge University Press.
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