Friedrich Nietzsche a Philosopher in Society - Essay Example

Friedrich Nietzsche a Philosopher in Society Friedrich Nietzsche was born in 1844 in Rocken, Saxony and he died in 1900 (Upshall 369-370). He lived the first 22 years of his life in Germany where he was borne. From 1869 to 1880, he lived in Switzerland. He spent his later years in North Italy, in the Engadine, and in South France (Upshall 369-370). He wrote in the 19th century period (Philosophers online). The characteristics of the philosophers society and culture are nationalism, capitalism, democracy, socialism, conservatism, liberalism, feminism, and bureaucracy (European Thought and Culture in the 19th Century, online). Nationalism is the belief that groups of people are bound together by territorial, cultural and (sometimes) ethnic links (Glossary, online). Capitalism is an economic system in which the production and distribution of goods depend on invested private capital and profit-making. Politically, this means the dominance of private owners of capital and production for profit. By extension, 'capitalism' has also taken in the belief that government should have nothing to do with the economy (Glossary, online). Capitalism is a form of government for a nation state, or for an organization in which all the citizens have a vote or voice in shaping policy (Democracy, online). Socialism is a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the community as a whole should own and control the means of production (Glossary, online). Conservatism is a political philosophy or attitude that emphasizes respect for traditional institutions, distrust of government activism and opposition to sudden change in the established order (Glossary, online). Liberalism is a term that gained significance in the 19th century, when it meant the limiting of government power and the increase of social reform (Glossary, online). Feminism is a view articulated in the 19th century that women are inherently equal to men and deserve equal rights and opportunities (Definitions of Feminism on the Web, online). Bureaucracy is a professional corps of officials organized in a pyramidal hierarchy and functioning under impersonal, uniform rules and procedures (Bureaucracy, online). Friedrich Nietzsche’s published works include The Birth of Tragedy, Untimely Meditations, Human, All Too Human, Daybreak, The Gay Science, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Beyond Good and Evil, On the Genealogy of Morals, The Case of Wagner, The Twilight of the Idols, The Antichrist, Ecce Homo, Nietzsche Contra Wagner, and The Will to Power (Friedrich Nietzsche a, online). Friedrich Nietzsche is famous for his rejection of Christianity (Friedrich Nietzsche b, online). He described Christianity as a nihilistic religion because it evaded the challenge of finding meaning in earthly life, creating instead a spiritual projection where mortality and suffering were removed instead of transcended. He believed nihilism resulted from the "death of God", and insisted that it was something to be overcome, by returning meaning to a monistic reality. He sought instead a "pragmatic idealism," in contrast to the prominent influence of Schopenhauer's "cosmic idealism" (Nihilism, online). He is also famous for his idea of “will to power”. Hopes for a higher state of being after death are explained as compensations for failures in this life. The famous view about the "death of God" resulted from his observations of the movement from traditional beliefs to a trust of science and commerce. Nietzsche dissected Christianity and Socialism as faiths of the "little men," where excuses for weakness paraded as moral principles. John Stuart Mill's liberal democratic humanism was a target for scorn, and he called Mill "that blockhead" (Friedrich Nietzsche b, online). According to Nietzsche, the other world is an illusion, and instead of worshipping gods, man should concentrate on his own elevation. The contrast of "good and evil" as opposed to that of "good and bad," Nietzsche associated with slave morality. He argued that no single morality can be appropriate to all men. The meaning of history was the appearance, at rare moments, of the exceptional individual. And by creating the figure of Zarathustra, Nietzsche presented the teacher of the coming superman (Friedrich Nietzsche b, online). His philosophy was against mainstream thoughts of his time. When ideas of socialism, capitalism, and nationalism were flourishing during that period of time, he was scorning it. His use of aphorism, such as “God is dead” and “Plato was a bore” also attracted my interest. He also attracted me because unlike other philosophers, such as Aristotle, he does not have a standard of what is good and bad. What is good and bad is different at different time, depending on the Will to Power. He presented this in the master-morality and slave morality. To the master, the slave is bad because he is despicable. To the slave, the master is evil because he is unsympathetic, unkind, impatient, unfriendly, etc. (Happiness is Having Power, online). The philosopher’s father died when he was four years old. In 1978, Nietzsche became interested in the French enlightenment, which ended his friendship with Wagner, his close friend of almost a decade. The composer despised the French and searched acceptance in Germany. Also Nietzsche did not accept the rising Wagnerian cult at Bayreuth, especially with its anti-Semitism. The religiosity of Parsifal was too much for him. Nietzsche gave up Prussian citizenship in 1869 and remained stateless for the rest of his life. In 1879 Nietzsche resigned his professorship - or was forced to give up his chair - due to his headaches and poor health. He wandered about Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, living in boardinghouses, and producing most of his famous books. In January 1889 Nietzsche suffered a mental breakdown in Turin, Italy. He was found in a street, weeping and embracing a horse. Nietzsche lived first in an asylum and then in his family's care. His insanity was probably due to an early syphilitic infection. During his disease Nietzsche was almost invariably gentle and pleasant, and in lucid hours he engaged in conversation. Nietzsche spent his last decade in mental darkness and died in Weimar on August 25, 1900 (Friedrich Nietzsche b, online). WORKS CITED “Bureaucracy.” Answers.com. 7 October 2006 “Definitions of Feminism on the Web.” Google. 7 October 2006 “Democracy.” Wikipedia. 7 October 2006 “European Thought and Culture in the 19th Century.” The Teaching Company. 7 October 2006 “Friedrich Nietzsche a.” Wikipedia. 7 October 2006 “Friedrich Nietzsche b.” The Free Library. 7 October 2006 “Glossary.” Channel 4. 7 October 2006 “Happiness is Having Power.” The Radical Academy. 7 October 2006 “Nihilism.” Wikipedia. 7 October 2006 “Philosophers.” EpistemeLinks. 7 October 2006 Upshall, Michael, ed Webster’s Dictionary of Famous People. India: Random Century Group Ltd, 1990. Read More