Ecce Homo: How One Becomes What One Is (Ecce Homo: Wie Man wird Was Man Ist) is the title of the last original book written by philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche before his last years of insanity that spanned until his death in 1900. It was written in 1888 and was not published until 1908. Philosopher in Meditation (detail), by Rembrandt. ... Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (IPA:) (October 15, 1844–August 25, 1900), a German philologist and philosopher, produced critiques of contemporary culture, religion, and philosophy centered around a basic question regarding the positive and negative attitudes toward life of various systems of morality. ... Inmates at Bedlam Asylum, as portrayed by William Hogarth Insanity, or madness, is a semi-permanent, severe mental disorder typically stemming from a form of mental illness. ...

According to one of Nietzsche's most prominent English translators, Walter Kaufmann, the book offers "Nietzsche's own interpretation of his development, his works, and his significance" (Kaufmann 1967: 201). The book contains several chapters with self-adulatory titles, such as "Why I Am So Wise", "Why I Am So Clever", "Why I Write Such Good Books", and "Why I Am a Destiny", in biting self-mockery of the arrogance of autobiographies. In many ways, Ecce Homo is a quintessential reflection of Nietzsche's work as a philosopher, writer, and thinker. Walter Arnold Kaufmann (July 1, 1921 - September 4, 1980) was a 20th-century Jewish German philosopher, scholar, and poet. ... Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (IPA:) (October 15, 1844–August 25, 1900), a German philologist and philosopher, produced critiques of contemporary culture, religion, and philosophy centered around a basic question regarding the positive and negative attitudes toward life of various systems of morality. ...

Within this work, Nietzsche is self-consciously striving to present a new image of the philosopher and of himself, for example, a philosopher "who is not an Alexandrian academic nor an Apollonian sage, but Dionysian" (Kaufmann 1967: 202). On these grounds, Kaufmann considers Ecce Homo a literary work comparable in its artistry to Van Gogh's paintings. Just as Socrates was presented in Plato's Apology as the wisest of men precisely because he freely admitted to his own ignorance, Nietzsche argues that he is a great philosopher because of the scorn he has suffered during his life. Nietzsche insists that his suffering is not noble but tragic. In this regard, the wording of his title was not meant to draw parallels with the Christ, but suggest a contrast, that Nietzsche truly is "a man." Nietzsche's point is that to be "a man" alone is to be more than Christ. For other uses, see Alexandria (disambiguation). ... Lycian Apollo, early Imperial Roman copy of a fourth century Greek original (Louvre Museum) In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo (Greek: Απόλλων, Apóllōn; or Απελλων, Apellōn), the ideal of the kouros,[1] was the archer-god of medicine and healing and also a bringer of death-dealing plague; as... The wise old man (or Senex) is an archetype as described by Carl Jung. ... The Birth of Tragedy (Die Geburt der Tragödie aus dem Geiste der Musik, 1872) is a 19th Century work of philosophy by Friedrich Nietzsche. ... Self-portrait (1886) Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853 - July 29, 1890) was a Dutch painter, generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history. ... Socrates (Greek: , invariably anglicized assɔkɹətiːz, Sǒcratēs; 470?–399 BCE) was a ancient Greek philosopher who is widely credited for laying the foundation for Western philosophy. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... (The) Apology (of Socrates) is Platos version of the speech given by Socrates as he defends himself against the charges of being a man who corrupted the young, did not believe in the gods, and created new deities. Apology here has its earlier meaning (now usually expressed by the... Tragedy is one of the oldest forms of drama. ... This article presents a description of Jesus life, as based on the four gospels. ...

One of the main purposes of Ecce Homo was to offer Nietzsche's own perspective on his work as a philosopher and human being. He wrote: "Under these circumstances I have a duty against which my habits, even more the pride of my instincts, revolt at bottom—namely, to say: Hear me! For I am such and such a person. Above all, do not mistake me for someone else!" Throughout the course of the book, he expounds – in the characteristically hyperbolic style found in his later period (1886–1888) –upon his life as a child, his tastes as an individual, and his vision for humanity. He gives reviews and insights about his various works, including: The Birth of Tragedy, The Untimely Ones, Human, All-Too-Human, The Dawn, The Gay Science, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Beyond Good and Evil, On the Genealogy of Morals, Twilight of the Idols, and The Case of Wagner. The last chapter of Ecce Homo, entitled "Why I Am a Destiny", is primarily concerned with reiterating Nietzsche's thoughts on Christianity, corroborating Christianity's "decadence" and his ideas as to "uncovering" Christian morality. The last phrase of the book, and Nietzsche's last few written words are (Voltaire's motto) Écrasez l'infâme ("Crush the infamy!") written soon before his collapse in Turin, Italy. In its original context, the French Enlightenment, the phrase recommended the destruction of the Christian Church. This article is about modern humans. ... Look up hyperbole in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... The Birth of Tragedy (Die Geburt der Tragödie aus dem Geiste der Musik, 1872) is a 19th Century work of philosophy by Friedrich Nietzsche. ... Human, All Too Human (Menschliches, Allzumenschliches) is a book by Friedrich Nietzsche, originally published in 1878. ... The Gay Science (German: Die fröhliche Wissenschaft (la gaya scienza)), which has been canonically translated thus by contemporaneous academia as instated by Walter Kaufmann since the 1960s, is a book written by Friedrich Nietzsche, first published in 1882 and followed by a second edition. ... The cover for the first part of the first edition. ... Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future (Jenseits von Gut und Böse) is a major 19th century philosophical work by Friedrich Nietzsche. ... On the Genealogy of Morals: A Polemic (translation of Zur Genealogie der Moral: Eine Streitschrift, also translated On the Genealogy of Morality or Toward a Genealogy of Morals), is a polemic written by the 19th century German philosopher and philologist Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche in 1887. ... The Twilight of the Idols (Götzen-Dämmerung) is a book by Friedrich Nietzsche, written in 1888, and published in 1889. ... The Case of Wagner (Der Fall Wagner) is a German philisophy book by Friedrich Nietzsche, originally published in 1888. ... Destiny or fate refers to the inevitable course of events. ... Decadence generally refers to the supposed decline of a society because of moral weakness. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Friedrich Nietzsche, 1882 Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 - August 25, 1900) was a highly influential German philosopher. ... The last of Voltaires statues by Jean-Antoine Houdon (1781). ... Turin (Italian: ; Piedmontese: Türin) is a major industrial city in north-western Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the west bank of the Po River. ... Look up Enlightenment in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recounted in the Gospels. ...

References

Kaufmann, Walter 1967 "Editor's Introduction" in On the Genealogy of Morals (translated by Walter Kaufmann and R.J. Holingdale) and Ecce Homo (translated by Walter Kaufmann), edited by Walter Kauffman. 201-209. New York: Vintage.

External links

• Ecce homo, Wie man wird, was man ist, available freely at Project Gutenberg (In original German)