Ecce Homo: Nietzsche’s Autobiography & Philosophy

Posted on Feb 19, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics

Ecce Homo: “Why I Am a Destiny”

This text is part of the work entitled Ecce Homo, specifically the chapter “Why I Am a Destiny.” This work belongs to the last period of Nietzsche’s life, sometimes called his “sunset philosophy.” It is a period of intense critique of philosophy, religion, and morality. Ecce Homo is an autobiographical account of self-defense and exaltation, in which Nietzsche discusses his works.

The other three periods prior to this are:

  • The aesthetic or romantic period (philosophy of dawn)
  • The illustrated or positivist period (philosophy of morning)
  • The message of Zarathustra (philosophy of noon)

Historical Context

The life of German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) was marked by the heyday of nationalism in Europe. He lived most of his life in Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, countries that were closely linked. In the historical framework, and after the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo and the negotiations of the Congress of Vienna, Prussia was the big beneficiary and initiated a period of great development and prosperity. This boom culminated, thanks to Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, in the formation of a new Germany, initiating the German Reich known as the Second Reich (II rule). Meanwhile, in Italy, King Victor Emmanuel II carried out a reunification of the whole kingdom, and a rapprochement with Germany occurred during the reign of his son Umberto I.

Finally, Switzerland was also affected by the Napoleonic wars, during which the Helvetic Republic was declared. However, with the Congress of Vienna, Switzerland regained its neutrality. The early nineteenth century saw the beginning of what became known as “science,” due to the rise of scientific creativity of the moment. At this time, several philosophical theses arose, such as positivism, utilitarianism, and Marxism, all with a common thread of suspicion and denunciation. Suspicion of the capitalist system, suspicion of religiosity, suspicion of good human feelings, and suspicion of Western values are some of the questions being asked by philosophers of this era.

Against this environment, there were some philosophical theories that sought to oppose positivism and the Hegelian system: vitalism and historicism. Both currents claim that the artist is endowed with an ability to understand reality that no scientist possesses, and they exclude reason as a necessary element to explain nature. Nietzsche is considered the most important vitalist, a follower of Schopenhauer’s ideas.

Born into a humble family, his life was marked by a brilliant academic career. He was appointed professor of classical philology at Basel University at 24 years old, where he worked until 1879. That year, he initiated a series of travels in Europe until his collapse in 1888, beginning a decline that led him to madness. Nietzschean thought has been alive throughout the twentieth century. The Nazi regime manipulated and used it for its theories, and it was not until after the Second World War that many philosophers tried to rescue his thought from the wounds of Nazism. His philosophy was also present in existentialism, one of the most important trends of the twentieth century. In turn, theories of the superman and the death of God were harshly criticized, and today still remain relevant in a world where religion is often the only characteristic that defines a culture.