“There are no facts, only interpretations.” – Nietzsche
A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history’s most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? Among all the knowledge and pursuits handed down by our ancestors, few were as important as philosophy, which literally taught people how to think and became directly responsible for ideas like reason and empiricism. Men like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle formed the backbone of Western philosophy, and subsequent philosophers like Marcus Aurelius and Thomas Aquinas expounded on previous philosophy. In Charles River Editors’ Legendary Philosophers series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the most important philosophers in history in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.
It might be fair to say that everyone’s thinking has been influenced at one point or another by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, or at least someone who was influenced in turn by Nietzsche. Nietzsche (1844-1900) was one of the most influential men of the 19th century, a German philosopher, poet, and composer who wrote at length about everything from religion to science. In addition to the importance of his work, he was a deft writer and polemic, ensuring his continuing popularity among readers.
Nietzsche's influence remains substantial within and beyond philosophy today, most notably in existentialism, nihilism and postmodernism, all thriving movements in the 21st century. As his quote about the nonexistence of facts suggest, Nietzsche was open to questions about everything considered objective, a radical viewpoint that still gains plenty of traction among students, even as it continues to be subjected to all kinds of debate and interpretation.
Perhaps fittingly, Nietzsche’s groundbreaking work went in lockstep with poor health, including various mental maladies. Despite being a well-respected philologist and clearly one of Europe’s most creative thinkers, he suffered a mental breakdown in his mid-40s that is still controversial today, and he only lingered for about another decade before dying in 1900 at the age of 55.
Legendary Philosophers: The Life and Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche chronicles the life, work, and untimely death of one of the West’s most famous modern philosophers. Along with a bibliography and pictures of important people, place, and events, you will learn about Nietzsche like you never have before, in no time at all.
