Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzsche is considered one of the greatest philosophers of the modern era. Largely ignored and misunderstood during his lifetime, Nietzsche's revolutionary style of thinking and writing influenced a wide variety of twentieth-century disciplines, including psychoanalysis, existentialism, phenomenology, and hermeneutics. Trained as a classical philologist, Nietzsche's insight into the origins of ancient Greek culture provided the foundation for his critique of traditional philosophy. While he never achieved a systematic formulation of his ideas, Nietzsche's insights into the veiled motives of philosophy and morality inaugurated a wellspring of discoveries about the psychological, existential, and linguistic bases of human existence. Nietzsche attacked traditional ethical theories, especially those rooted in religion. He did so because he believed that human life has no moral purpose except for the meaning that human beings give it. His outlook encouraged moral relativism, but he also advocated a demanding personal ethical perspective of his own. It emphasized the individual will, excellence, and discipline. In both its critical and its affirmative dimensions, Nietzsche’s philosophy continues to have profound effects on moral theory and practice. -- Friedrich Nietzsche Criticism