Nietzsche’s “Ecce Homo”: Philosophy, Influences, and Context
Nietzsche: A Deep Dive
The text we are working with, “Ecce Homo,” is part of a book by Nietzsche. He was a 19th-century author.
Nietzsche was born in Röcken and died at the end of the 20th century. He suffered from physical and mental illness.
Nietzsche studied at Pforta for his secondary education. The main themes of his philosophy were against classicism and religion.
He began studying at the University of Bonn but later moved to the University of Leipzig at the age of 24. He was appointed Professor at the University of Basel.
The philosophy of Schopenhauer and Wagner had a lasting negative impact on Nietzsche. He left his professorship in Basel completely, losing interest in his philosophy.
After a crisis, he suffered physical ailments. “Ecce Homo” was written at the time of his right forces. He revived a new way of life, turning disease into self-force to overcome.
Nietzsche wrote for a maximum of 10 years. His anti-German sentiments and hatred of the entire culture of Germany made him a political philosopher.
There was a time of thought movement with a single copy-positivism, which, in his opinion, impoverished the reality of life. He attacked human rights, the struggle for equality, workers’ struggle, and feminism, against the moral Übermensch (superman), negating the power of natural selection preference in Darwinism.
With regard to his attitude toward women, he reached a reputation for intermediate misogyny and sentimental frustration.
His death is as follows. His impact on philosophy has been different in contemporary trends. His works are distributed in four periods:
- Romantic moments of “Night” (the stay in Basel)
- Positivist-time “Morning” (corresponding period of travel)
- Zarathustra’s message “Am” (where he found his main ideas)
- Critical time “Sunset” (Nietzsche criticized the entire culture at this time)
His thinking blossomed in the historic environment.
Relevant Historical Context
We have the following relevant facts:
- The failure of European nobility and the monarchy influenced the reaction to the French Revolution.
- The industrial revolution brought great social changes and revolutionary action.
- Bourgeois finance, industry, cultural, and political control increased.
- The union of the bourgeois was broken.
- Industrial workers increased at the expense of freedom and equality.
- Security was high, and bourgeois property was defended.
- The agreement between the bourgeois and workers was in conflict.
There were significant changes in the process of industrialization, which the second industrial revolution brought. Railroad, steel, agriculture, and finance developed the stock market.
Significant investments were required in new industrial, chemical, and steel sectors, concentrated in capital, and many large companies were created in the areas of production. Therefore, banks increasingly took to it.
Progress in industrialization was closely linked to scientific and technological development.
Positivist ways of thinking were reflected in reality. The authenticity of observation and description of reality was represented by them.
Among others, Victor Hugo and Millet paintings. Living in the ability to drown value of artificial he defended.
It was an avant-garde period. Their lives into works of art to the artist.
At the end of the nineteenth century, the Impressionist movement was a major force. Monetary and Manet paintings, light and movement can be seen.
Philosophical Context
We are working in the philosophical context of the text, shown in the following events:
- Romance (illustration was created as follows and opposes oni)
- Positivism (during the Enlightenment, knowledge of science was a valid experimental model only)
Other philosophical movements:
- Vitalism (the main value of life and reality is essential)
- Evolutionism (through the theory of natural selection, provide the best creature random genetic changes)
- Marxism (the key economic agents and infrastructure is a struggle between social classes)