Friedrich Nietzsche was one of the most profound and controversial philosophers of the nineteenth century. His writings have been the topic of discussion and debate for well over a century. The vernacular he wrote in can make it challenging to interpret what he is trying to say but using primary and secondary sources from that time period can make it easier to understand. By reading letters that Nietzsche sent you can get a better idea of what was going on in his life and what influenced him to write on the topics that he did, I will also be looking at an analysis of Nietzsche and his writing to breakdown the ideology he is creating. Analyzing other sources gives the reader background and it helps to give context to the writing. 

Friedrich Nietzsche was born in 1844 in Prussia (modern day Germany). He studied at the University of Bonn, it is there where his rejection of religion began after taking a course on theology. His writings covered many controversial topics, often challenging the institution of religion which was very bold in the mid nineteenth century. One of his most prominent themes was the idea that "God is dead", by saying this he did not mean that god literally was dead but that the institution of the church is no longer a credible source of virtue and moral goodness. These ideas came during a time period of revelation that the answers to life proposed by the bible no longer held any truth. Charles Darwin published "On the origin of species" in 1859, proposing the theory of evolution virtually going against everything the bible said. Evolution opened people's eyes and made them realize that truth is found in factual evidence, not words. Advancements in Science and Technology tarnished the church's reputation and its following was diminished. He began writing and developing his philosophy in 1872, his first published work was called, The Birth of Tragedy.  He also wrote on the topic of morality and truth, his most prominent piece on these two subjects was "On Truth and Lies in a Non-Moral Sense", written in 1873. This was an unpublished piece by Nietzsche, he argues that good and bad are relative and truth is solely based on perception. In the fourth paragraph Nietzsche says "Moreover, man permits himself to be lied to at night, his life long, when he dreams, and his moral sense never even tries to prevent this-although men have been said to have overcome snoring by sheer willpower". This observation is saying that Truth and Morals were created by people, just because we see things certain ways doesn't mean that they are necessarily right. He is asking why we see things as good and other things as bad, how did we come to the conclusion that things are the way they are? In this writing he argues that humans have come to these conclusions through language. Truth is something fabricated by humans and just because someone says that something is true and holds value does not necessarily mean that it is. Morals were created by humans but what led to the conclusion that some actions and qualities are virtuous and others detestable? Friedrich Nietzsche does not directly go after the institution of religion but he does refer to the bible's account of the creation of a man and he basically says that it is fictional. He asserts how powerful language and words are as well as how the Bible's creation story has been accepted by people for thousands of years when in reality it is fallacious. Language is a very powerful tool, it can contort reality and make people believe in something that holds no merit. 

In this essay Nietzsche praises the abstract thinker, he asserts how people who try to find truth by making their own conclusions are the ones that find it. Accepting old doctrines and being subdued by answers other people have made turns you into a slave of your own mind. Having the freedom to think original thoughts and having an open mind is the essence of a true philosopher. Asking questions and conflicting with old ideas is how we advance as a society, not being content with the proposed answers to the words problems is how we get closer to the truth. According to Nietzsche's philosophy, everything is ambiguous and open to a different interpretation. When you are not inquisitive and credulous you are ultimately killing your creativity. An example I think of is Galileo, similar to Friedrich Nietzsche he went against the establishment of the church because he was not satisfied with the theories proposed by the bible, by analyzing data and facts he was able to find the real solution to his question.  Nietzsche talks about art and dreams extensively in his writings, to him they opened the doors of perception and were the bridge to metaphysical understanding. You learn more about yourself and the world by letting your mind release the natural thoughts and instincts that society has told you to suppress because they are different and divergent from "the universally accepted truth". That to me is why Nietzsche was so against the church, being a Christian forces you to stick to fundamentals and not stray from biblical doctrine. Strictly following a religion holds you back from being yourself and it kills' individuality. Think about how many great ideas and thoughts were never exposed to the world in the past 2,000 years because those individuals were afraid of the consequences for going against the church. Society for a majority of the time humans have existed have been like a herd of sheep, they obey and comply with demands put on them. It is those few people who decide to stray away from the restrictions put on them that find truth and receive recognition for new ideas and creation, such as Nietzsche. Nietzsche knew he had the power of individual reason and combined with his intelligence he explored the rationality of truth, morals, and logic.

Friedrich Nietzsche thought on a level that can be paralleled by only a few gifted people, combined with the vernacular of the mid nineteenth century and the sometimes not so accurate translation from his native German language to others can make it hard to fully understand what he is trying to say. Understanding his background and personal motives for his philosophical ideas can make it easier to comprehend what he is trying say. Reading his work requires intense focus, each sentence needs to be broken down and analyzed. He often uses metaphors and allegorical techniques to enforce his ideas and back his thesis. "On Truth and Lies in a Non-Moral Sense" was an unpublished work that Nietzsche did not necessarily intend to share with others. Therefore you can see that he is essentially talking to himself and expressing his own personal thoughts almost like a Journal, in other words the intended audience is himself, he is thinking intrinsically and writing down his own observations on society. Throughout his life Friedrich Nietzsche was plagued by disease, syphilis would eventually deteriorate his life to the point of mental collapse at the age of 44 in 1889. Prior to the mental collapse he wrote thousands of letters to family and friends, these personal correspondents shed light on who he was a person and why he thought the way that he did. His feelings and opinions in his letters directly correlate with the philosophical principles he proposed. I analyzed a letter he sent to his friend, Freiherr Karl Von Gersdorff, in April of 1874. At this point in his life he was a professor of Philology at the University of Basel in Switzerland, he had compiled a large amount of writings of which only one was published. The Birth of Tragedy (1872) was not received well and faced much criticism, he was seen as brash and a delinquent. He talks about his feelings of solitude and self-doubt. One sentence really sticks out to me, he says "All I long for is a little freedom, a taste of the real breath of life; and I kick, I revolt against the many, the unutterably many constraints to which my mind is still subject" in my opinion it really embodies Nietzsche's philosophy on life itself. What Nietzsche is trying to communicate in this letter is that he at the moment is currently unhappy with the nature of things, he feels melancholy about the direction that things are heading. He is not content with the opposition he faces for thinking freely. He is living the life of a bohemian, he is not driven by material things or accolades, he is in search of truth and understanding. His non-conformist ways and outspoken thoughts make him the subject of much   ostracization. He expresses feelings of discontent and I don't think it is because his works are not receiving the praise he feels that he deserves but more so on the close mindedness of people in general. He is longing to create something of meaning, a groundbreaking philosophical work that will open people's eyes and make them think. By looking at this letter you can understand Nietzsche's outlook on life and how he personally feels, this can aid in fully comprehending his writings. To further help me understand and break down Friedrich Nietzsche's writings, I read a simple rhetorical analysis of "On Truth and Lies..". This is a modern day summarization of his work, it brings up metaphors and their purpose when trying to further advance his philosophical theory. Reading something like this helped tremendously because it makes you conscious of things that you didn't even realize when reading it for yourself. It is very easy to miss things or not fully comprehend them when reading on your own, it is good to get other opinions on the text and to delve into the deeper meaning. 

Friedrich Nietzsche is praised as being one of the greatest modernist philosophers. His insight on the world and the nature still holds truth today. Nietzsche's whole philosophy was to make interpretations for yourself and to be guided by your own instincts, I think "On Truth and Lies.." really brought to fruition all of his main ideals. His ideology is the gateway to truth and understanding. Reading his work can be very difficult, it is very easy to get lost. Looking at Primary and Secondary sources on a particular subject can help to fully understand a text, when you have an idea of the historical context and the authors personal motives it makes reading much more enjoyable.        

