Friedrich Nietzsche was born in 1844 in a small German village to a Lutheran pastor father. He was deeply affected by his father's early death when Nietzsche was only 4 years old. As a philosopher, Nietzsche challenged traditional morality and Christianity, believing instead in life, creativity, and the realities of the natural world. He was one of the first existentialist philosophers and inspired many cultural figures with his philosophy of "life-affirmation" and questioning of doctrines that drain life's energies. Some of Nietzsche's major writings include The Antichrist, Beyond Good and Evil, and Thus Spoke Zarathustra.