Nietzsche’s Reception of Darwinism

Abstract

It has been generally assumed that the influence of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution on Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) is to be understood in terms of Nietzsche’s concept “Übermensch” (overman). Hardly any attention has been paid to the question of the status of Darwin’s theory in Nietzsche’s philosophy. It is the purpose of this essay to answer that question.