Friedrich Nietzsche: Influences, Impacts, and Philosophical Ideas
Friedrich Nietzsche: Background and Context
Early Life and Academic Career
Friedrich Nietzsche was born in Saxony and died in Weimar. The son of a Lutheran pastor, he devoted himself to classical studies and became a university professor in Basel. He eventually left academia, choosing to live off his writings and become a “free thinker.” His life intertwined with periods of melancholy and the hope of recognition, which came shortly before his death.
The 19th Century Landscape
The second half of the 19th century was marked by nationalism, a product of the liberal bourgeois ideology of romanticism. Italy and Germany completed their unification during this time, with Prussia, led by Otto von Bismarck, playing a key role in German unification. Nietzsche lived through this period detached from nationalism and argued vehemently against the idea of a ‘great historical Germany.’
Social Movements and Scientific Advancements
Another significant aspect of this era was the development of social movements, primarily anarchist and socialist movements inspired by thinkers like Karl Marx. This century saw struggles to improve the living conditions of the lower classes (the proletariat) and extend social rights to all. Nietzsche did not identify with the demands of these movements.
The 19th century also witnessed the triumph of the scientific mind. There was tremendous scientific development fueled by the industrial revolution. Technological advancements gradually permeated the lives of every European citizen. This gave rise to the power of positivism, a belief that human progress and happiness depend on developing revolutionary technology.
Darwin’s Evolutionism and the Rise of Vitalism
A revolutionary scientific theory emerged: Darwin’s evolutionism. Man was now seen as just another animal, a being governed by impulses rather than solely by reason. Reason was considered a learned skill, not an inherent human trait.
A new school of thought, vitalism, emerged in response. It opposed rationalism and gained traction among philosophers of various backgrounds. Vitalism viewed life as an impulse that transcended mechanical logic and reason, a complex interplay of history, experience, reason, and individuality. It was an attempt to understand humans “in the flesh.”
Influences and Impacts on Nietzsche’s Philosophy
Greek Antiquity
Nietzsche’s early influences stemmed from Greek antiquity. Among the most important were Heraclitus, with his doctrine of eternal becoming and the opposition and struggle of opposites; Xenophanes, a representative of epistemological skepticism; Protagoras, the leading sophist with his theory of “homo mensura” (Man is the measure of all things); and Gorgias of Leontini, known for his skepticism.
Modern Critical Thinking and Romanticism
Nietzsche was also influenced by modern critical thinking, particularly through empiricist writers like Hume and Rousseau. Rousseau’s concepts of the ‘noble savage’ and the ‘social contract’ resonated with Nietzsche. The ‘noble savage’ transformed into the Nietzschean concept of the “innocence of being” and, in part, the “will to power.” Nietzsche accepted Rousseau’s social contract as the conventional social origin of what we call “truth.”
Kant and Schopenhauer
However, the most significant influence during this period came from Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. Kant distinguished between phenomenon and noumenon, arguing that noumena (things-in-themselves) are unattainable. Nietzsche accepted Kant’s theory of knowledge that we only know appearances or phenomena, filtered through our mental categories.
Schopenhauer, a disciple of Kant, became the primary precursor to Nietzschean vitalism. He reinterpreted Kantian epistemology, portraying the phenomenon as an illusion concealing an infinite and blind will, a universal drive or impulse.
Beyond these philosophical influences, romanticism in art also impacted Nietzsche, from Wagner’s music, which celebrated German tradition, to philology, as a form of advocacy for the classical world.
Nietzsche’s Impact on the 20th Century
Nietzsche’s influence on 20th-century thought was immense, giving rise to diverse and even opposing critical trends. His critique of consciousness and rationalist dogmatism significantly influenced the emergence of Freudian psychoanalysis.
Nietzsche’s emphasis on the irrational forces of life and nihilism paved the way for one of the most representative philosophical movements of the 20th century: existentialism. Thinkers like Jaspers, Heidegger, and Sartre are indebted to him.
In political philosophy, the ambiguity of Nietzsche’s discourse has allowed both libertarian and Nazi ideologies to selectively appropriate his doctrines.
His influence is also evident in the linguistic relativity of Benjamin Lee Whorf.
Finally, Nietzsche’s impact on contemporary Spanish literature and philosophy is noteworthy. Thinkers and writers like Pio Baroja, Ortega y Gasset, and María Zambrano engaged with Nietzsche’s ideas, particularly his concepts of nihilism and the death of God, often reinterpreting them in a positive light.