KNTV PHILOSOPHY

FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE (1844-1900)

Nietzsche was a truly individual thinker, and his controversial take on philosophy reverberated through 20th century philosophy and literature.

PROGRAMME OUTLINE

00:00 – 04:16

The Nazis were big fans of Nietzsche, which is why some people still find his ideas unpalatable.

04:17 – 07:39
WHAT was Nietzsche's big idea?

He believed that people should strive to become 'supermen', and make themselves as strong as possible in body and mind. It was risky to do this, and the greatest strength of all came from within. He said, 'That which does not kill us makes us stronger'.

Nietzsche was adamant that organised religion gave the weak undue influence over the strong. He said his philosophies were like a hammer that in time could destroy society's values.

When Nietzsche proclaimed, 'God is dead', he meant that we should all take responsibility for ourselves and not rely on a deity to sort out our lives for us.

07:40 – 12:20
WHO was Friedrich Nietzsche?

He came from a long line of Prussian clergymen, but his father and brother died when he was a child and he was raised by the women of his family. He was plagued by headaches and stomach pains, which he treated with natural remedies. He spent a short time in the army, but was invalided out. Nietzsche never married, he had few friends, and became lonely and isolated. His mental health collapsed in 1889. He never regained his mind and was cared for by his sister until he died from pneumonia in 1900.

12:21 – 15:01
WHEN Nietzsche was alive, what else was going on?

Nietzsche was born a Prussian, in a country with a strong militaristic tradition and values of obedience and organisation. He renounced his citizenship as a young man, and for the rest of his life was stateless. Prussian crops failed in 1848, which led to a revolt that was quashed. Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898), known as the Iron Chancellor, became Prime Minster of Prussia in 1862 and led the way to German unification. This was the Romantic era, when there was strong emphasis on emotional expression in music and art.

15:02 – 19:28
WHY did Nietzsche's ideas happen?

Nietzsche was frustrated by society's weaknesses. He wanted people to become their own gods rather than relying on a higher spiritual power to help them. He was inspired by the negative mind-set of the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), who thought people were too easily sidetracked by their desires. Nietzsche was great friends with the composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883), but they eventually fell out, and Nietzsche distanced himself from society. The women in his family influenced him, but in later life he criticised women and said they were 'essentially unpeaceful'.

In Nietzsche's view, the superman could reach the limits of what humans can do and would never be overwhelmed by those who were weaker. The only threat to the superman was the church.

19:29 – 24:00
WHERE do Nietzsche's ideas fit in the modern world?

The ideal of the superman is used in competitive sports, where in order to excel, athletes must train single-mindedly.

Some might say that the modern world is divided into those who have followed Nietzsche's philosophy and abandoned religion in order to set their own course, and those who prefer to place their faith in God.

Nietzsche believed in the importance of self-control, which is lacking from society today, and said it was important for everyone to follow their own ideas rather than conforming. Today we have greater freedom to do this than was possible in past centuries.

His ideas laid the foundations of existentialism, an important branch of modern philosophy. A man of many contradictions, whose life was tormented by accidents, illness, loneliness and ultimately madness, Nietzsche still has an influential voice in philosophy.