2. Biography  Nietzsche was born in the German village of Rocken bei Lutzen on October 15, 1844.  He was a sickly, yet creative, youth who wrote plays, poems, and music.  All the men Nietzsche’s family were Lutheran ministers and he was expected to follow in their footsteps.

3.  In 1864 Nietzsche began Theology studies at the University of Bonn.  After a semester he lost faith in Christianity.  The next year he began Philology courses at the University of Leipzig.

4.  In 1871 Nietzsche published his first major philosophical work, “The Birth of Tragedy From The Spirit of Music.”  Over the next few years Nietzsche wrote several books, plays, essays, and musical pieces while teaching at the University of Basel.  In 1879 his health deteriorated and he was forced to resign.  Over the next ten years Nietzsche wandered Europe, seeking to regain his health.

5.  In 1889 Nietzsche fell victim to psychosis and his career came to an end.  Nietzsche died on August 25, 1900

6. Philosophy “Man is something that must be overcome.” - Nietzsche, “And Thus Spoke Zarathustra”  Nietzsche believed that humanity was inherently depraved but individuals possess the power to improve themselves beyond society.

7.  Nietzsche believed the senses could be, and had to be, trusted.  Nietzsche believed that the Universe was homogenous and secular. Sense Perception

8. Ubermensch Nietzsche believed that man could escape his inherent absurdity through focused creative activity and achieve the state of Ubermensch, which means superman.

9. “God is dead.”-Nietzsche  Nietzsche believed that the Christian God was no longer a relevant or true source of absolute moral values. He believed that Christianity had become obsolete. Nietzsche was searching for a set of moral values that ran deeper than those set forth by a religion.

10. Influences  Nietzsche was influenced by Arthur Schopenhauer and Kierkegaard.

11. Groups Nietzsche Influenced  The Nazi party used Nietzsche’s concept of Ubermensch as justification for Eugenics.  Nietzsche influenced the French Existentialist Movement.