Nietzsche's Philosophy: Historical Context and Key Influences

Nietzsche's Philosophy: 19th Century Context

Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy emerged during the second half of the nineteenth century, a period marked by significant revolutions across Europe. The ongoing struggle for rights and freedoms fueled the rise of liberalism and socialism, ideologies that played a crucial role in the Revolutions of 1848. These uprisings, however, were met with suppression, repression, and persecution of the burgeoning labor movement.

Concurrently, powerful nationalist movements gained traction in Germany, culminating in German unification and the establishment of a state under Prussian hegemony. Otto von Bismarck spearheaded this movement, and a young Nietzsche initially shared these nationalistic ideals. In France, workers initiated the Commune of Paris, which ultimately ended in severe repression of labor. Bismarck, aligning with the bourgeoisie, came to power (ruling alongside Kaiser Wilhelm II) and established the first German parliament. Following the First World War, the Weimar Republic was founded.

The working class, organizing to defend its rights, gave birth to the labor movement. Clashes between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie accelerated social, economic, and political change. Culturally, this era saw the prominence of several key movements:

• Liberalism: Advocating for individual freedoms. Notable figures include Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.
• Socialism: Representing the ideology of the proletariat, denouncing exploitation, and seeking to establish communism. Key figure: Karl Marx.
• German Nationalism: Manifesting in arts and letters, promoting the exaltation of national freedom. This movement influenced Nietzsche through figures like Richard Wagner and Arthur Schopenhauer.

It is important to note that Nietzsche's work was later manipulated and distorted by his sister, Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, to align with fascist ideologies.

Nietzsche's Philosophical Contemporaries

Nietzsche's philosophical context places him as a contemporary of thinkers like Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud. A common thread among them was their shared interest in the capacity for storytelling and unconscious self-deception within human experience. Arthur Schopenhauer significantly influenced Nietzsche in his second stage, though he was later critically re-evaluated in Nietzsche's more mature, critical phase.

Nietzsche's Core Ideas and Influences

Nietzsche understood reality in Heraclitean terms as constantly shifting and contradictory. He largely rejected the entire Western philosophical tradition, making an exception only for the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus.

Schopenhauer's Impact and Nietzsche's Divergence

Arthur Schopenhauer profoundly influenced Nietzsche's romantic stage, particularly his later concept of the will to power. Nietzsche adopted Schopenhauer's vision of the world as a "will to live" and his distrust of progress, as well as the importance of art in discovering reality. However, Nietzsche fundamentally diverged from Schopenhauer's pessimism, which he believed robbed life of meaning. Instead, Nietzsche passionately affirmed the inherent value and meaning of life.

Other Key Influences and Evolution

In his first phase, Nietzsche was also significantly influenced by Richard Wagner and Greek tragedy. Nietzsche believed that only the artist could truly represent life in all its complexity, viewing Wagnerian opera and Greek tragedy as "total art" forms that reveal the mystery of life. His relationship with Wagner soured when Wagner became interested in Christian mythology, which Nietzsche considered a sign of betrayal, leading to their eventual breakup.

The Enlightenment influenced Nietzsche's second stage, as did the life sciences, particularly in the development of his vitalism. Charles Darwin's ideas were sometimes referenced in his work. Tragically, Nietzsche's philosophy was also later influenced by Nazi ideology through the deliberate manipulation and misrepresentation of his work by his sister.

Nietzsche's Enduring Legacy

Nietzsche's impact has been far-reaching. Notable figures who engaged with his ideas include Georg Simmel, who synthesized Nietzsche with Karl Marx, and Max Scheler, who combined Nietzschean thought with phenomenology. In Spain, Fernando Savater is a prominent figure influenced by Nietzsche. His influence has extended broadly into literature and, indeed, across the entire cultural landscape. Nietzsche's thinking has been interpreted and championed by ideologies of all kinds, underscoring its complex and multifaceted legacy.