Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

Friedrich Wilheim Nietzsche was a German Philosopher. He was born into a

wealthy family and grew up in Rcken, a small town. His dad was Carl Ludwig, a
pastor, and his mum was Franziska Oehler. He was the oldest if three children,
having a brother, Ludwig Joseph, and a sister, Elisabeth Frster-Nietzsche.
In 1858, due to his talents in music and language, Schulpforta, a boarding school
for talented people, admitted him. He studied there from 1858 to 1864, making
friends with Paul Deussen and Carl von Gersdoff. There he had time to write
poems and musical compositions.
In 1865, he developed a particular interest in the works of Arthur
Schopenhauer, which he studied thoroughly. In fact, it was Schopenhauer who
had the largest influence to him in the field of philosophy.
In 1879, his health significantly worsened, he had bouts of shortsightedness,
leaving him nearly blind, and other problems were painful migraines and violent
indigestion. He began using typewriters to continue writing books due to his
failing eyesight.
In 1889, he witnessed the whipping of a horse and then ran up to it and threw
his arms up to protect it, and then collapsed. After this, he began to go mad,
writing strange letters to his friends and insulting the German emperor. After
having multiple strokes, he died in 1900.

Nietzsches Key Beliefs

Nietzsches approach to philosophy was very controversial, often making
outrageous claims that criticizes religions and is subject to misinterpretation.
You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and
the only way, it does not exist.

In this quote, Nietzsche refers to the matter of morality, suggesting that the
right way isnt a definable thing, but its your own way that matters. He wrote a
lot about morality and questioning what people referred to as right or wrong.
But arguably his most popular and widely known idea was the concept of the
bermensch, which translates into superman or overman. His belief was that
the whole world, all of nature and everybody was connected. He invented the
idea of the will to power, that every individual is trying to overcome himself. He
believed that someday, humans would achieve that and the person who
accomplishes that would be a bermensch, who would be free from other
peoples views of right and wrong.

Should All Year 9s Study Nietzsche?

I think that it would be a good idea for year 9s to study Nietzsche, because he
has some interesting views on morality. He is also not very well known, I only
first heard about him very recently.
Aside from having interesting concepts, Nietzsche also has an intriguing
personal life, battling illnesses and being admitted into prestigious schools, his
interests other than philosophy, such as science and music, and eventually
succumbing to madness.

My Opinions
I find Nietzsches ideas and concepts very thought provoking, rather than
confusing or complex like other philosophers.
To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.

In this quote, Nietzsche tackles one of the biggest questions, the meaning of
life. He thinks a lot about the question of morality and he seems to be opposed
to religion, so he wont be as influenced by beliefs as much as other philosophers
will be. I dont really like his idea of the bermensch, as I think it is a bit too
far-fetched for my liking, even though I am very open-minded.
In conclusion, I think that Nietzsche is a fascinating person to study. Not just
his ideas, but also his influences, and how he became the man he was.