Nietzsche’s Philosophy: 19th Century Influences
Historical and Cultural Context of the 19th Century
The 19th century marks the beginning of civilization as we understand it. It is a period of great political and social revolution whose origin is French. It is the century of major competing ideologies: liberalism, socialism, Marxism, nationalism, and anarchism, whose struggles come to the 20th century. Nietzsche had prophesied that the 20th century would be the wars for global domination. It is also the century of the second industrial revolution, scientific and technological progress which is the cultural event of the season. Electricity, the automobile, and the telegraph are discovered. Capitalism spans most of Europe. The remains of the estate society start to disappear; society is differentiated into two classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. There is a strong growth of large cities. The proletariat is beginning to organize in the labor movement of anarchist, socialist, and communist ideology. Liberalism becomes the ideology of the bourgeoisie. At the end of the century began the modern mass society, its ideology, the demand for political participation and the consequent democratization of the state. After 1880 there is also a great imperial expansion of European countries throughout the world; it is the era of colonialism. In 1870, an event that will have a major influence on Nietzsche’s thought: the war between France and Germany of which the latter will come out victorious. Following this, the German Empire was born under the power of Chancellor Bismarck, which combined with strong economic growth makes Germany a world power. But Nietzsche always thought that France was culturally superior to Germany and spoke of his country as a nation of beer and maintained a permanent hatred against Bismarck’s politics. In the 19th century there are new theories that revolutionized thought: Darwin’s theory of evolution, Philosophical Positivism (which seeks to destroy the foundations of Western metaphysics), and scientific materialism (the attempt of objective explanation of any fact from science without resorting to philosophical explanations).
Philosophical Context of Nietzsche
Nietzsche, who shares the criticism of Greek metaphysics and Christianity, takes place from science in general, evolutionism and positivism, being independent of these trends and feeling a profound contempt for them. Thus one of the main features of Nietzsche’s original ideas is independence of fashion and its influence began when he was gone. The art and philosophy of the 20th century felt the presence of Nietzsche. The influences that Nietzsche received will come from elsewhere:
- His admiration for the Presocratics and especially Heraclitus. At the core is the idea that nature is a constant flux of becoming and the “being” fiction is empty.
- His admiration for Greek tragedy: Aeschylus and Sophocles. Art and life are defined by their tragic character.
- The influence of the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, at least when the first great work, and the rejection of German philosophy. Reading Schopenhauer reconciles Nietzsche with philosophy and the concept of will comes from the work of Schopenhauer.
In 19th-century Germany is dominated by three main philosophical currents: Kant, Romanticism by his ego trip and pessimism, and Hegel for the negativity that dominates his conception of dialectics. In all, Nietzsche sees Christianity in disguise. Later he will also make a strong criticism of Schopenhauer for his pessimism and rejection of life. Finally, the music and understanding of how Richard Wagner with his conception of “total work” will be fundamental in the early works of Nietzsche. Finally, Nietzsche repudiates Wagner at the time that it begins to draw on Christianity and pessimism.