Frederich Neitzche- The controversial, the man
Neitzche once wrote “He who strays from tradition becomes a sacrifice to the extraordinary.” It might be said that this was a reflection of himself. Obviously a true romantic, it can be seen in his love for nature and humanity, even the sheer disgust he had for Christianity. All of his essays and writings represent his strong feelings about Romanticism. Frederich Neitzche was best known for his observations of humankind and their nature. It was commendable that he was passionate about his philosophical writings and his pre-Socratic thinking. Neitzche wrote about everything from life to death, and everything he wrote held a special importance to him.
As a young boy, Neitzche suffered a lot more than an average child, although he was brilliant. He had a very sad and lonely childhood because of the hardships he experienced, many of which inspired him to his later writings. When he was seven his father, a pastor, passed away. After being sick for several years with painful dizzy spells, he died. This event both traumatized and stimulated the young Neitzche. He became obsessed with death and its related theories; such as suffering, disintegration of the brain, death, burial, and graves.
As he grew up, Neitzche realized he had inherited his father’s ailment, he became physically weak though this did not deplete his strong will. He was drafted into the Army, and sent off to the war between Germany and France. While in the war, he fell off his horse, and was discharged from the Army because of the resulting injury. This was a mixed relief for Nietzche.
After arriving home, he began to lose control of his life. He began to drink heavily, and go to parties and other outings all the time. Predictably, it became too intense for him, and his illness could not stand it. After a few months of the party lifestyle, he left his debauchery, renounced life, wandered into a corner and resumed his solitary seat he had held most of his life. Furthermore, he despised himself greatly. He went to the mountains and began to think about the events of the war. He asked questions like: what is the meaning of all this suffering? Where was the “eternal glory” of existence as preached by the prophets? He could find no answers and eventually came up with the theory “God is dead”; the precursor of modern Atheism.
After thinking and developing his philosophies, he compiled and wrote several essays, one of which is The Anti-Christ, based on his theories about the Catholic religion and God or the lack thereof. His mother had once said she saw, “All of Christ’s suffering,” in his eyes. Neitzche felt to the contrary about religion and everything religious. He wrote “...It has been almost the terror of terrors and out of that terror the contrary type has been willed, cultivated and attained: the domestic animal, the herd animal, the sick brute-man--the Christian.” It is easily seen that Neitzche was extremely against the Christian religion. He felt it manipulated and changed people and made them believe that they represented the highest intellectual values as sinful, misleading, full of temptation, while Neitzche found them virtuous. In contrast, he felt nature was a very positive aspect in a man’s life.
Neitzche felt strongly about everything he said, but there was nothing he loved more then the beauty of nature. He spent time in the mountains because he found it serene and comforting. He wrote, “Out in nature. We like to be out in nature so much because it has no opinion about us.” (Human, All Too Human: Man alone with Himself 508). Nature was an escape, he found it so beautiful. It was a natural beauty unlike the common world around him. Since he was very lonely, it made him feel at peace.
What made Neitzche stand out from any other romantic is how he could see Man as either completely corrupt or utterly admirable; and each one he knew was correct though it seems an oxymoron. Neitzche also found the common people just as important, if not more so than the upper classes of the world. He valued nobility of the mind above all. Neitzche said, “To a great degree nobility of the mind consists of good nature and a lack of distrust, and thus contains exactly that which acquisitive and successful people so like to treat with superiority and scorn.” Basically, people that acquire nobility of the mind are good natured and trusting people, which is exactly what people of a higher status look down upon. So it can be inferred that Neitzche felt that if you went against anything from the Catholic religion to what society felt acceptable, you would be prosecuted by a higher power while he would commend you for it.
Despite all the hardships Neitzche had to face in his life, he was a brilliant man. It has been said he was insane, but perhaps he was just ahead of his time. It can’t be said for sure, but he had more problems than the average person and still came out of it triumphant. Critics have found his philosophies to still be valid to today’s world. It is true against the background of his mental illness and in no way does it detract from his real greatness.
*Note, for those of you who do not know me closely, this does not reflect any degree of Atheism in me; those who know me understand I am Agnostic; a far reach from Atheist.*
For more on Frederich Neitzche, I reccomend reading "Beyond Good And Evil", as well as http://www.geocities.com/thenietzschechannel/ (what a great quote on the front page too!)
As a young boy, Neitzche suffered a lot more than an average child, although he was brilliant. He had a very sad and lonely childhood because of the hardships he experienced, many of which inspired him to his later writings. When he was seven his father, a pastor, passed away. After being sick for several years with painful dizzy spells, he died. This event both traumatized and stimulated the young Neitzche. He became obsessed with death and its related theories; such as suffering, disintegration of the brain, death, burial, and graves.
As he grew up, Neitzche realized he had inherited his father’s ailment, he became physically weak though this did not deplete his strong will. He was drafted into the Army, and sent off to the war between Germany and France. While in the war, he fell off his horse, and was discharged from the Army because of the resulting injury. This was a mixed relief for Nietzche.
After arriving home, he began to lose control of his life. He began to drink heavily, and go to parties and other outings all the time. Predictably, it became too intense for him, and his illness could not stand it. After a few months of the party lifestyle, he left his debauchery, renounced life, wandered into a corner and resumed his solitary seat he had held most of his life. Furthermore, he despised himself greatly. He went to the mountains and began to think about the events of the war. He asked questions like: what is the meaning of all this suffering? Where was the “eternal glory” of existence as preached by the prophets? He could find no answers and eventually came up with the theory “God is dead”; the precursor of modern Atheism.
After thinking and developing his philosophies, he compiled and wrote several essays, one of which is The Anti-Christ, based on his theories about the Catholic religion and God or the lack thereof. His mother had once said she saw, “All of Christ’s suffering,” in his eyes. Neitzche felt to the contrary about religion and everything religious. He wrote “...It has been almost the terror of terrors and out of that terror the contrary type has been willed, cultivated and attained: the domestic animal, the herd animal, the sick brute-man--the Christian.” It is easily seen that Neitzche was extremely against the Christian religion. He felt it manipulated and changed people and made them believe that they represented the highest intellectual values as sinful, misleading, full of temptation, while Neitzche found them virtuous. In contrast, he felt nature was a very positive aspect in a man’s life.
Neitzche felt strongly about everything he said, but there was nothing he loved more then the beauty of nature. He spent time in the mountains because he found it serene and comforting. He wrote, “Out in nature. We like to be out in nature so much because it has no opinion about us.” (Human, All Too Human: Man alone with Himself 508). Nature was an escape, he found it so beautiful. It was a natural beauty unlike the common world around him. Since he was very lonely, it made him feel at peace.
What made Neitzche stand out from any other romantic is how he could see Man as either completely corrupt or utterly admirable; and each one he knew was correct though it seems an oxymoron. Neitzche also found the common people just as important, if not more so than the upper classes of the world. He valued nobility of the mind above all. Neitzche said, “To a great degree nobility of the mind consists of good nature and a lack of distrust, and thus contains exactly that which acquisitive and successful people so like to treat with superiority and scorn.” Basically, people that acquire nobility of the mind are good natured and trusting people, which is exactly what people of a higher status look down upon. So it can be inferred that Neitzche felt that if you went against anything from the Catholic religion to what society felt acceptable, you would be prosecuted by a higher power while he would commend you for it.
Despite all the hardships Neitzche had to face in his life, he was a brilliant man. It has been said he was insane, but perhaps he was just ahead of his time. It can’t be said for sure, but he had more problems than the average person and still came out of it triumphant. Critics have found his philosophies to still be valid to today’s world. It is true against the background of his mental illness and in no way does it detract from his real greatness.
*Note, for those of you who do not know me closely, this does not reflect any degree of Atheism in me; those who know me understand I am Agnostic; a far reach from Atheist.*
For more on Frederich Neitzche, I reccomend reading "Beyond Good And Evil", as well as http://www.geocities.com/thenietzschechannel/ (what a great quote on the front page too!)