Nietzsche’s reception of Darwinism

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 """"Obermensch"""" (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. Nietzsche's initial approval, and later criticism, of Darwinism is not limited to a specific theme of his philosophy, but is a part of his central philosophical concern, viz. the relation between nature and culture. Nietzsche approved of Darwin's theory as a natural basis for the explanation of human values. Later he is concerned about the basis of Darwin's theory and criticizes it because of its anthropomorphic presuppositions. This criticism is relevant to the present debate on the status of Darwin's theory of evolution and that of Nietzsche's theory of """"will to power"""".