Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was born on October 15, 1844, in Röcken, Germany, where his father served as a Lutheran pastor. Friedrich's father's death, when he was four years old, was distressing, which he often referred to in his later writings. Soon after, his youngest brother died, resulting in his mother moving her family in with her mother and two sisters.

At the end of the period of schooling, Nietzsche, who had earlier shared the Lutheran religion of his family, found that he had ceased to accept Christianity—a view that soon hardened into outright disbelief in any God.



The statement "God is dead," occurring in several of Nietzsche's works (notably in The Gay Science), has become one of his best-known remarks. Further, he declared that man, no longer "the image of God," is a chance product of a nature uninterested in purpose or value. The great danger is that man will find his existence meaningless. Unless a new grounding for values is provided, Nietzsche predicted a rapid weakening into destruction for society.

Nietzsche aimed in all his work to provide a new meaning for human existence in a meaningless world. In the absence of any religious guidance, men must create their own values. Nietzsche's writings are either criticisms of the old system of values or attempts to form a new system. For European man, the traditions common to both Jewish and Christian religions were the source of the old values. Nietzsche attacked it head-on in such works as A Genealogy of Morals (1887) and The Antichrist (1888).

In Nietzsche's constructive works he sought to find in life itself a force that would serve to set human existence apart. He found it in the theory of the urge to dominate and master. All creatures desire this, but only man has achieved sufficient power to turn the force back on himself. Self-mastery and self-overcoming are the qualities that give a unique value to human life. The ideal man, the "superman," will delight in being the master of his life, measuring out his passions, and giving style to his character. His power over himself and his life will give him a flood of creative energy. This will be the new reality and the standard by which all of life is judged

Nietzsche had a standard by which to tell between the morality of the superman from the morality of Christianity. Christianity is based on the concept of afterlife. It attacks the idea of being master of your life, calling that idea "pride," and sees natural passions as evil, putting guilt and fear onto its followers. The new morality, on the other hand, will support life, encourage self-assertion, and do away with guilt. In Thus Spake Zarathustra (1883) Nietzsche formed the ultimate test of the superman's statements. Confronted with the notion that the world process is cyclical (circular or in sequence) and eternal, the superman still supports life. Let it be—again and again—with all its joys and sorrows.

Near the end of his life, Nietzsche's productivity ended in January 1889, when he suffered a mental breakdown upon seeing a coachman cruelly whipping his horse -this drama had him sobbing with his arms around the beast's neck. He was housed in an asylum at first, then placed in the care of his family. He lived on in a semiconscious state, sinking ever further from the real world until his death on August 25, 1900.

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"when you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you"
This understanding is true I always found it helpful I am glad its being discussed this is a great topic.

This is even being proved in physics its not just deep philosphical saying its actually observable.
This is the guy who I think can prove it this is a must see for anyone intrested in the nature of reality.

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I like this quote very much ""when you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you" and yes it's true and deep philosophical saying.....

I think it means that by trying to understand something, you may become consumed by it; it changes you, and you may be forced to second guess yourself, your way of thinking, and your understanding of the world based on what you've discovered. I think he is referring to social behavior, where we see people mimic one another in what appears to be an attempt to understand or attract the other person. I also think that he accurately used the word "abyss" to describe the uncertainty and potential danger involved in such situations.
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I think your right of course,
I would just like to add that we look at reality and reality understands itself and manifest accordingly.
ocial behavior in my understanding is an effect of the reality and reality is an effect of it.
ind effects matter and matter effects mind.
In a human social context like I too think he was intending on you can lose yourself just like in a none social aspect of just being aware and then realizing it all a part of the same unified field then the selfless sorta understanding of that can lead you to a path of sacrifice ones selfhood If you dont grasp that your perspective on reality is yours.
Alot of new age groups chant the selfless mantra "we are all one" I mean that as a figure of speech but it seems alot of standards of thinking in groups remove the importance of self wich makes novelty a hard thing for the social structure to achieve.
I would say he had a fine understanding of this type of loss of self worth wich is a dangerous thing in my opinion as well.
Very nice input thanks.