The World of Nietzche

There really isn't a particular place we can stick Nietzche since he doesn't really belong anywhere; Nietzche is an entity unto himself.  He was one of those lovely hermit philosophers, living and writing in the alps of Switzerland, grooming his mustache and having nervous breakdowns about horses.  Ah, yes, Nietzche.  Those who live by his teachings are regarded in the philosophy community as bizarre and a little bit... off, and yet... he is indisputably one of the most important philosophers who has ever lived.

Since he doesn't fit anywhere, I guess I'll stick it in ethics since I don't have much there.  To summarize his many, many teachings: you're fucked, admit you're fucked, do great things, and don't be a wimp.

Anyway, Nietzche wants you to admit that you have envy. This idea goes against the traditional teachings of many religions that claim that one should be ashamed of their envy. Nietzche, however, sorta follows the line that in admitting one's flaws one can learn how to correct them. The reason why we should recognize our desires is so we can work our very hardest to achieve them and in doing so, we can accept our own failure with dignity.

See, that's the thing. Nietzche was the übermensch guy that's maxims all relate to how one can achieve... not exactly perfection, but a state of being that is as good as it's gonna get. Nietzche's übermensch receives a shit ton of criticism since people who strive for it by his teachings are a little bit... odd, and his philosophy is SO controversial that many people who study philosophy actively despise him. Anyway. Back to his teachings.

Don't be a christian. Ah, now you're seeing why he's so widely hated, yes? Anyway, Nietzche was adamantly against the church and basically resented it for the sole reason that it protected people from their own envy. He claimed the church was just built of a bunch of weaklings that didn't have the gall to seek what they actually wanted. This is called slave morality. Basically, christianity is denial. Mwa mwa mwaaaaa.

On the same list of things-people-don't-want-to-hear we have the maxim that alcohol is baaaad. He himself only drank water. His hatred of alcohol stemmed from the same reasons as his resentment for christianity: both encourage denial. Alcohol numbs pain and helps to forget, which is something that should never, ever be done.

God is dead, and we have killed him, you and I. This famous line echoes the rising atheist movement in the 1800's, which- although he was opposed to christianity- he believed to be a generally bad thing. While he hated christianity, he did value morality in general. He did admit that morals should be taught through culture, IE in ancient greece where stuff was taught through plays. He lamented the loss of morality, and thus triggered his nervous breakdown.