

Nietzsche : The Father Of Existentialism?

1833 words - 7 pages

OutlineThesis Statement: Nietzsche is often considered to be the first existentialist; is this simply good timing, or was Nietzsche really the first to question whether there really is an afterlife and whether or not we should focus our attentions on this reality rather than the next.I. His LifeA. Father died when he was FourB. When he was Fourteen he went to Schulpforta Boarding SchoolC. Went to The University of Bonn in 1864 as a Philology studentD. In 1867 Nietzsche entered his required military serviceE. Began teaching in 1869 at the University of Bastel in SwitzerlandF. Until his death in 1900 Nietzsche wrote many famous works of literatureII. His BeliefsA. Generally challenged the foundations of traditional moral and Christian thoughtB. Was more or less an AtheistC. Nietzsche's central theory was one of "self affirmation"D. He believed in life, creativity, health, and the realities of the world that we live in, rather than that of the world beyond.III. His WritingsA. Early writingsB. Mid writingsC. Late writingsIV. Nietzsche's influence on Modern ThoughtExistentialism, for some it is just a big word, for others it is something worth studying and learning about, and for the rest it is a way of life. Freidrich Nietzsche definitely falls into the later category. To many scholars and philosophers, Nietzsche is often considered to be the first existentialist; is this simply good timing, or was Nietzsche really the first to question if there is an afterlife and whether we should focus our attentions on this reality rather that the next. Through the main purpose conveyed by this paper, the reader will agree that in fact Nietzsche was the first man to call himself an existentialist.His LifeTo understand why and how Nietzsche became an existentialist, one must first be presented with his life. In the small town of Roerden bei Lutzen, which is located in rural farmland southeast of Leipzig. Freidrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was born on October 15, 1844, to Father Karl Nietzshe and Mother Nicholeta Nietzsche (his mother died in childbirth). Nietzsche's birthday coincided with Freidrich Wilhelm IV's, so his farther named Nietzsche after that Prussian king. When Nietzsche was just four, his father died of a serious brain ailment, and since his mother died in childbirth, Nietzsche and his remaining family members moved to nearby Naumburg an der Saale to live with his paternal grandmother, Franzisken Nietzsche.From the ages of fourteen to nineteen, Nietzsche attended the first rate boarding school, Schulpforten, which was located relatively close to Naumburg. There, Nietzsche was prepared for the rigorous atmosphere of higher education, for it was much more difficult to do well in college in the 1900's than it is now. After graduating from Schulpforta, Nietzsche entered the University of Bonn in 1864 as a theology and philology major, although he was privy to studying philology (the study of philosophy). In his philology classes, Nietzsche attended lectures by...

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