Essay

Philosophical discussion has plundered man with life’s problems, or “apparent problems” since society has been an aspect of everyday life. Questions as to why are we here or is there a god. Many have come and gone who have thought they have had answers but none has had as much influence to mainstream intellects as Friedrich Nietzsche. His ideas have led to many using their minds to question what is normal, and for that he allows changes to ensue. With this it leads one to believe that, Nietzsche’s works have been crucial to cognitive reflection by being an important Intellectual thinker of the modern era. His future is forever, his words concrete in history. It has been said that, “you don’t know where you are going until you know where you have been.”
Friedrich Nietzsche was born on October 15, 1844. He was born to Carl Ludwig Nietzsche and Franziska Oehler. His father was a Lutheran Pastor and a former teacher who died of Brain complications in 1849. He was born in the small village of Röcken, which was in the Prussian province of Saxony. ( Britannica 445) After his father’s death, his family moved to Naumburg to live with his father’s grandmother. As a boy, he attended an all boys private school. Then as a young man attended Domgymnasium which was also located in Naumburg and there showed great talent in language and music. Because of his talents at that school, he was noticed at another more prestigious school, Schulpforta, where he was to later find more about language and Greek and Roman philosophy. With this new literature as his doctrine, he would leave this small Christian laden town, never to return to a small area of its likeness again. After this he then began to study theology and classical philology at the University of Bonn. It was here he lost his faith officially. This could be from the constant pressure from his mother to go into the priesthood, or the death of his father at an early age, but has also been attributed to his readings as a student of David Strauss. Strauss’s work entitled Life of Jesus had a large impact on the impressionable Nietzsche. Regardless to reason, this was the period of his life that he sprouted his anti-god/faith attitudes, and abandoned his faith. Even at this age he still felt, that his writings proved that the basis of Christianity was brought into disrepute. He then turned his focus on Europe’s need for material goods, to need things, as well as its new fascination with science and of course Darwin. He was very intrigued by this new science that put into question everything then thought about how humans became to be. This intrinsic question that brought about so much controversy was indeed something of great influence and importance in his early research and readings. This is what inspired him to change course from philology to philosophy and of course his works from then on. (Wikipedia)
His works were his life. He gave his whole being into them, and for it the mind can be stretched even further. Many of his early works like, The Birth of Tragedy, and others examined how ancient Greece was the height of society and its simplicity was what made it so. While many regard his early work to be very well done, it wasn’t until he wrote the work, The Gay Science, which was when he made the statement, “God is dead.” This was a huge statement, one that would give him much adoration but mostly hatred by figureheads of Christianity. In this work it is clearly shown that Nietzsche believes in the act of Reincarnation, because his essential point is that we look forward to the “Eternal Return” which is when we come back over and over again after we parish. (Wicks) His pure atheism comes out strongest in this work which chronicles his middle writing period. It is the embodiment of his best writings and is regarded as so. In all his writings, or most that is, he does a remake years later, where Nietzsche includes a preface to sometimes state that what he thought prior was either wrong, or maybe to take a different perspective. Similarly, it was written in, Beyond Good and Evil, that, “….and nowadays every dogmatism stands dejected and dispirited – if it is standing at all! For there are those who tauntingly claim that it has fallen, that all dogmatism lies defeated, even more, that it is breathing its last gasp.”(Nietzsche 3) This shows that despite his attitude at the time of a certain way of looking into a subject, such as dogmatic philosophy that he can look back on it later, and say well maybe it is dead. This is shown when he continues, “In all seriousness, there is a good reason to hope that all philosophical dogmatizing, however solemn, conclusive, or definite its manner, may have been nothing but the infantile high-mindedness of a beginner.” (3) It was this fact, that he could look back and admit he was wrong, or to clear something that was unclear that he was forever thinking about his own thinking. Not to move on just because he had written it. It was this factor that made his writings a forever intellectual venture that is clarified by the author. Much admiration has been given for this factor, where as many others have not.
Many things have been said by Nietzsche and because of it, man is now further into an adventure into thought. From the writings in Ecce Homo, “The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.” (Nietzsche 228) Also, “Nothing on earth consumes a man more quickly than the passion of resentment.” (300) Finally, “One must pay dearly for immortality; one has to die several times while still alive.” (393) Other things that have said are, “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” As well as, “A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.” (Moncur) His writings, works and words have been the topic of intellectual discussion and have brought many to open their mind to new thought, and to allow change to happen because of it.
Friedrich Nietzsche has used his brain, to activate many others through the past after his death and from the future of now. His work is documented in time, and for it man can be a little more at ease. To know that philosophical thinking of that level will continue based off his ideas, only so more can come into existence. Through this knowledge one now knows that Nietzsche’s works has been crucial to cognitive reflection by being an important Intellectual thinker of the modern era. For this we are eternally grateful for brilliant minds of the past, praise those now prevalent, and wait for those of the future.