Friedrich Nietzsche was born near Rocken a small town in the Prussian province of Saxony, on 15 October 1844. Ironically the philosopher who rejected religion and coined the phrase "god is dead" descended from a line of respected priests. Nietzsche completed his secondary education at the demanding boarding school in Pforta. A brilliant student, he received rigorous training in Latin, Greek and German. In 1864 the young man entered the University of Bonn to study theology and classical philology. A year later, however, he abandoned theology and moved to the University of Leipzig to earn his doctorate in philology. In Leipzig Nietzsche became an ardent admirer of the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, whose work he discovered by chance in a second-hand bookshop, and of the composer Richard Wagner, whom he met in 1868 and came to regard as a second father. -fourth, Nietzsche was appointed professor of classical philology at the University of Basel, where he taught for the next ten years. The publication in 1872 of his first major book, The Birth of Tragedy, brought him immediate notoriety. Dedicated to Wagner, it exploded 19th century conceptions of Greek culture and resonated themes later developed by 20th century philosophers, psychoanalysts and novelists. Nietzsche's later work, four essays collectively titled Untimely Meditations (1873–76), focused on contemporary issues and criticisms. Two attacked German "cultural philistinism" and challenged the value of historical knowledge, while homages to Schopenhauer and Wagner were simultaneously reflections on philosophy and art. Indeed, Human All-too-Human (1878) represented an entirely new direction in his thinking. Written in an aphorid... in the center of the card... the best course of action. I believe that if I do well and have good will towards those who deserve it, it will come back to me. However, those who bear me harm will feel vengeance like they have never felt before. But overall I feel that brotherly love and peace should prevail. What if in our United States, a country I love and despise for its apathetic and desensitized culture. And if we continue down this path of debauchery and illicit war, I only hope I can find another place to live my life. Because as Nietzsche says "God is dead", so we only have this one life. And my plan is to live it to the best of my ability. Experience the world and make other people's lives a little brighter.