The Legend of Nietzsche’s Syphilis

An exploration of the life and behaviour of Friedrich Nietzsche, in which Dr Richard Schain challenges the widely-held view that this important philosopher’s actions and erratic writings were due to general paresis, or syphilis of the brain. The author offers a detailed biography of Nietzsche’s life, at each major turning point offering his own thoughts regarding why the diagnosis of syphilis is unsatisfactory to explain Nietzsche’s behavioural and thought patterns. With close attention to detail, Schain offers important reasons for one to re-evaluate the claims made regarding Nietzsche’s mental illness. Schain also explores another common diagnosis, namely, that of schizophrenia. While this diagnosis, according to the author, seems more plausible than that of general paresis, it is still inadequate to fully explain the aberrant behaviour and eventual mental deterioration of one of the leading Western philosophers of our time. By both examining Nietzsche’s life and challenging the medical opinions of the time period, Schain lays the foundation for rigorous re-examination of the diagnoses of both general paresis and schizophrenia as causes for Nietzsche’s actions, thoughts and philosophies.