Nietzsche (I): La vida de un filósofo atormentado | La March
Fundación Juan March・34 minutes read
Friedrich Nietzsche's work spawned various interpretations and debates, influencing contemporary culture significantly. Despite his impactful legacy, Nietzsche's image was distorted by his sister Elizabeth, perpetuating a false narrative that overshadowed his true beliefs and philosophy.
Insights
- Friedrich Nietzsche's work faced significant misinterpretation and distortion due to his sister Elizabeth's manipulation, leading to a false portrayal of him as a proponent of war and violence.
- Despite initial obscurity and challenges, Nietzsche's legacy grew through Georg Brandes' lectures, influencing the artistic avant-garde in Berlin and Paris, solidifying his position as a cosmopolitan figure with far-reaching impact on literature, music, and art.
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Who was Friedrich Nietzsche?
A German philosopher born in 1844.
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Summary
00:00
Nietzsche's Impact and Controversial Legacy
- Friedrich Nietzsche's complex image causes confusion due to various interpretations of his work.
- Nietzsche's influence on contemporary culture and mentality is significant, stimulating debates in various fields.
- Nietzsche was born in 1844 in Germany, which was politically part of the Holy Roman Germanic Empire.
- Germany's unification in 1870 by Bismarck led to industrialization and modernization, not a republic as intellectuals hoped.
- Nietzsche's childhood was marked by his father's early death, living with pious family members.
- He excelled academically, studying classical philology under influential professors.
- Nietzsche's encounter with Schopenhauer's work and Richard Wagner significantly impacted his life and thinking.
- Wagner's influence led Nietzsche to publish "The Birth of Tragedy in the Spirit of Music," which faced criticism from philologists.
- Criticisms of Nietzsche's work led to his reputation deteriorating, resulting in his retirement from the university.
- Nietzsche's approach to classical philology aimed at critiquing modern culture and its institutions, which clashed with traditional philological positivism.
20:57
Nietzsche's Journey: From Wagner to Legacy
- Nietzsche considered Wagner a great benefactor in his life, experiencing a lifestyle and freedom he had never known before during their trips and stays together.
- The rupture between Nietzsche and Wagner occurred due to Nietzsche's need for independence and to free himself from Wagner's authority, feeling the need for soul independence.
- Wagner's nationalist art, based on Germanic myths, aimed to create solidarity and define German identity, which Nietzsche criticized for lacking universal communion.
- Nietzsche's years of wandering, marked by loneliness and financial constraints, saw him travel to various European locations, staying in cheap accommodations and following a frugal diet.
- Nietzsche's chronic illness, stemming from his service during the Franco-Prussian War, led to a style of writing composed of aphorisms due to his intermittent periods of health.
- Nietzsche's aphoristic writing style, characterized by brief outbursts and ellipses, left conclusions to the reader, emphasizing individual interpretation and balance.
- Nietzsche initially struggled to gain recognition for his books, often having to pay for their publication until Danish critic Georg Brandes brought attention to his work through lectures and publications.
- Brandes' lectures on Nietzsche's work at the University of Copenhagen in 1887 sparked widespread dissemination and fame for Nietzsche among the artistic avant-garde in Berlin and Paris.
- Nietzsche's rise to fame was marred by a falsified legend created by his sister Elizabeth after his collapse in 1889, distorting his image and work for many years.
- Despite the initial challenges and distortions, Nietzsche's work gained cosmopolitan recognition and influenced prominent figures in literature, music, and art, solidifying his legacy.
41:23
Elizabeth Nietzsche's Distorted Legacy of Nietzsche
- Friedrich Nietzsche's work was negatively influenced by his sister, Elizabeth, who controlled the publication and access to his writings after his death.
- Elizabeth, facing financial difficulties, became the guardian of Nietzsche's legacy by acquiring the copyright from her mother and manipulating his unpublished material.
- She created a cult around Nietzsche, promoting his fame while distorting his ideas to align with German nationalism and later, Hitler's national socialism.
- Elizabeth prohibited the publication of Nietzsche's works that contradicted her narrative and published a distorted version of his notes and aphorisms as "The Will to Power."
- She published a fictionalized biography of Nietzsche, portraying him as a hero of Germanic tradition, which perpetuated a false image of him as a proto-Nazi.
- Elizabeth's actions successfully shaped Nietzsche's image as a supporter of war and violence, overshadowing his actual beliefs and philosophy.
- Her influence led to the widespread misinterpretation of Nietzsche as a philosopher advocating cruelty and militarism, perpetuated even during World War II.
