Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844–1900) was a German philosopher whose work has exerted a profound influence on modern intellectual history. His concepts of the will to power and the Ubermensch explore human potential and transcendence.
Born in Rocken, Prussia, Nietzsche became a professor of classical philology at the University of Basel at age 24. Health problems forced his retirement at 34, after which he wrote his most influential works before a mental breakdown in 1889.
While often critical of religion, Nietzsche’s vision of human self-overcoming and the creation of new values has been interpreted as a secular parallel to religious ideas of transformation and transcendence. His challenge to “become who you are” echoes themes of human potential found in many religious traditions.