Historical FiguresPhilosopher, Philologist
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
1844 - 1900
Radical philosopher of nihilism, will to power and the Übermensch
Quick Facts
Born
1844
Died
1900
Profession
Philosopher, Philologist
Nationality
German
Biography
Lutheran pastor's son, Nietzsche became classical philology professor at 24. Works *Thus Spoke Zarathustra*, *Beyond Good and Evil* and *Genealogy of Morals* demolished Christian morality, celebrating life‑affirmation amid 'God's death'. Stricken by mental collapse 1889, he lived under care until death, posthumously influencing existentialism, psychoanalysis and post‑structuralism.
Historical Significance
Nietzsche's critique of morality and proclamation of the Übermensch reshaped 20th‑century thought, literature and psychology
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