Human All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits

"First published in 1878, the book marks the philosophical coming of age of Friedrich Nietzsche. In it, he rejects the romanticism of his early work, influenced by Wagner and Schopenhauer, and looks to enlightened reason and science. The ""Free Spirit"" enters, untrammeled by all accepted conventions, a precursor of Zarathustra. The book is Nietzsche's first in the aphoristic style that would come to dominate his writings, discussing a variety of concepts in short paragraphs or sayings. The book comprises more a collection of debunkings of unwarranted assumptions than an interpretation. Regarded as one of the most profound German philosophers, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) is popularly considered a cultural critic and philologist whose work exerted a scholarly influence on modern intellectual history. His intellectual works focus on widespread themes such as religion, morality, philosophy, and science. Prominent elements of his philosophy include his radical critique of truth, a genealogical criticism of religion, and Christian morality. His body of work touched a wide range of topics, including art, philology, history, music, tragedy, and culture, most of which drew inspiration from Greek tragedy. "