How did Arthur Schopenhauer influence Friedrich Nietzsche?

Arthur Schopenhauer exerted a profound influence on Friedrich Nietzsche, particularly during the early stages of Nietzsche’s philosophical development.12

Nietzsche’s early works, such as The Birth of Tragedy, were deeply rooted in a Romantic perspective shaped by Schopenhauer’s thought. Key areas of influence included:1

• Irrationalism: Nietzsche adopted Schopenhauer’s rejection of the Enlightenment’s faith in human rationality. Both philosophers viewed the mind not as a tool for rational introspection, but as something dark, hidden, and driven by deeper, nonrational forces.34
• The Will: Nietzsche was significantly impacted by Schopenhauer’s philosophy of the "will"—a blind, striving cosmic force underlying reality. While Nietzsche later diverged from Schopenhauer, he agreed with the premise that the mind is an instrument of instinct used in the service of life and power.34
• Aesthetic Insight: Nietzsche shared Schopenhauer’s belief in the power of art to provide metaphysical insight, a view that also connected them to the composer Richard Wagner.3

Although Nietzsche eventually sought to emancipate himself from Schopenhauer’s pessimism and Romanticism in his middle and mature periods, Schopenhauer remained a foundational figure in the development of Nietzsche's own unique philosophical style and his critique of traditional values.41