Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a German scholar, philosopher, and critic. He was born on October 15, 1844, in Prussian Saxony. His father and grandfather were Protestant pastors, and young Nietzsche grew up with religious values. Nietzsche went to a prestigious Protestant boarding school and later studied theology and classical philology at Bonn University. Nietzsche only spent two semesters at Bonn University; records indicate that he argued with his classics professors during his time in their courses. When one of these professors, Friedrich Wilhelm Rischl, transferred to the University of Leipzig, Nietzsche followed and became his student.

In 1867, Nietzsche went into military service in an artillery regiment. In 1868, he was granted extended sick leave after injuring himself while mounting a horse and returned to his studies at the University of Leipzig. During this time, Nietzsche encountered the philosophical work of Arthur Schopenhauer and developed intellectual friendships that lasted his lifetime. In 1869, Nietzsche taught classical philology in Switzerland at the University of Basel despite never completing his doctoral thesis or dissertation. He was highly praised by his mentor Rischl and received a glowing review of his teaching abilities and intellectual prowess. At the onset of the Franco-German War, Nietzsche left his professorship to serve as a medical orderly; he soon contracted dysentery and diphtheria and returned to teaching.