	FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE (1844-1900):	Nietzsche, Friedrich (Wilhelm), German philosopher, poet, and	classical philologist, who became one of the most provocative and	influential thinkers of the 19th century.	Life and Works	Nietzsche was born on October 15, 1844, in Rcken, Prussia. His	father, a Lutheran minister, died when Nietzsche was five, and	Nietzsche was raised by his mother in a home that included his	grandmother, two aunts, and a sister. He studied classical philology	at the universities of Bonn and Leipzig and was appointed professor	of classical philology at the University of Basel at the age of 24.	Ill health (he was plagued throughout his life by poor eyesight and	migraine headaches) forced his retirement in 1879. Ten years later	he suffered a mental breakdown from which he never recovered. He	died in Weimar on August 25, 1900. In addition to the influence of	Greek culture, particularly the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle,	Nietzsche was influenced by the German philosopher Arthur	Schopenhauer, by the theory of evolution, and by his friendship with	the German composer Richard Wagner. A prolific writer, he wrote	several major works, among them The Birth of Tragedy (1872; trans.	1966), Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883-85; trans. 1954), Beyond Good	and Evil (1886; trans. 1966), On the Genealogy of Morals (1887;	trans. 1966), The Antichrist (1888; trans. 1954), Ecce Homo (1889;	trans. 1966), and The Will to Power (1901; trans. 1910).	One of Nietszche's fundamental contentions was that traditional	values (represented primarily by Christianity) had lost their power	in the lives of individuals. He expressed this in his proclamation	God is dead. He was convinced that traditional values represented	a slave morality, a morality created by weak and resentful	individuals who encouraged such behavior as gentleness and kindness	because the behavior served their interests. Nietzsche claimed that	new values could be created to replace the traditional ones, and his	discussion of the possibility led to his concept of the overman or	superman.	According to Nietzsche, the masses, whom he termed the herd or mob,	conform to tradition, whereas his ideal overman is secure,	independent, and highly individualistic. The overman feels deeply,	but his passions are rationally controlled. Concentrating on the	real world, rather than on the rewards of the next world promised by	religion, the overman affirms life, including the suffering and pain	that accompany human existence. His overman is a creator of values,	a creator of a master morality that reflects the strength and	independence of one who is liberated from all values, except those	that he deems valid.	Nietzsche maintained that all human behavior is motivated by the	will to power. In its positive sense, the will to power is not	simply power over others, but the power over oneself that is	necessary for creativity. Such power is manifested in the overman's	independence, creativity, and originality. Although Nietzsche	explicitly denied that any overmen had yet arisen, he mentions	several individuals who could serve as models. Among these models he	lists Socrates, Jesus, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Shakespeare,	Goethe, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon. The concept of the overman has	often been interpreted as one that postulates a master-slave society	and has been identified with totalitarian philosophies. Many	scholars deny the connection and attribute it to misinterpretation	of Nietzsche's work.	Influence	An acclaimed poet, Nietzsche exerted much influence on German	literature, as well as on French literature and theology. His	concepts have been discussed and elaborated upon by such individuals	as the German philosophers Karl Jaspers and Martin Heidegger, and	the German Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, the German-American	theologian Paul Tillich, and the French writers Albert Camus and	Jean Paul Sartre. Nietzsche's proclamation God is dead was seized	upon by the post-World War II radical theologians, the Americans	Thomas J. J. Altizer and Paul Van Buren, in their attempt to make	Christianity relevant to its believers in the 1960's and '70s.	Works	The Birth of Tragedy (1872) Untimely Meditations (1873-1876) Human,	All Too Human (1878) The Dawn (1880) The Gay Science (1882-1886)	Zarathustra (1883-1885) Beyond Good and Evil (1886) The Genealogy of	Morals (1887) The Wagner Case (1888) Twilight of the Idols (1888)	The Antichrist (1888) Ecce Homo (1888)                     \