Born: October 15, 1844, Röcken, Province of Saxony, Prussia.
Family Background: Named after King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. His father, Carl Ludwig Nietzsche, was a Lutheran pastor. His mother was Franziska Nietzsche (née Oehler).
Siblings: Two other siblings - Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche and Ludwig Joseph (died in childhood).
Education: Attended the Domgymnasium in Naumburg and later the prestigious Schulpforta.
Studied languages: Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and French.
Excelled in Christian theology.
Early Influences: Influenced by Arthur Schopenhauer's works and Greek tragedy.
Academic Career
University of Bonn: Initially studied theology and classical philology.
University of Leipzig: Followed Professor Friedrich Wilhelm Ritschl and concentrated on philology.
Youngest Professor: At age 24, became the Chair of Classical Philology at the University of Basel.
Resigned in 1879 due to health issues.
Philosophical Contributions
Key Works:
"The Birth of Tragedy"
"Human, All Too Human"
"Thus Spoke Zarathustra"
"Beyond Good and Evil"
"On the Genealogy of Morality"
Major Philosophical Themes
Perspectivism: Critique of objective truth, advocating for multiple perspectives.
Will to Power: Central concept implying the fundamental driving force in humans is the will to assert and enhance one's power.
Übermensch (Overman): The idea of a transcendental individual beyond conventional morality.
Eternal Return: Concept that the universe and all existence and energy has been recurring and will continue to recur.
Master-Slave Morality: Analysis of different moralities, where "master morality" values pride and power, and "slave morality" values humility and empathy.
Critique of Religion: Notably Christianity, which he saw as promoting a "slave morality."
Apollonian vs. Dionysian: Duality between order and chaos, reason and emotion.
Personal Life and Health
Health Decline: Nietzsche suffered from various health issues throughout his life, including migraines and near blindness.
Mental Breakdown: In 1889, suffered a collapse, leading to a complete loss of mental faculties.
Death: Lived under family care until his death on August 25, 1900, in Weimar.
Legacy
Posthumous Influence:
His sister, Elisabeth, controversially edited and published his works, associating them with nationalist ideologies.
Corrected editions later published by scholars like Walter Kaufmann.
Impact on Philosophy:
Influenced existentialism, postmodernism, and continental philosophy.
His ideas permeate modern thought in art, literature, politics, and popular culture.
Misinterpretations: His philosophies were misused by the Nazis, though Nietzsche was opposed to antisemitism and nationalism.
Additional Concepts
Death of God: Proclamation that the Enlightenment had "killed" the possibility of belief in God, leading to existential nihilism.
Nihilism: Belief that life lacks inherent meaning, which Nietzsche believed required overcoming to create new values.