Friedrich Nietzsche was born in 1844 in Germany and, from an early age, seemed destined to be the ‘controversial philosopher’ that everyone loves to hate. The son of a Protestant pastor, he lost his father at a young age and, instead of settling for the quiet life of a good Christian, decided to question everything - and when I say ‘everything’, I mean EVERYTHING.

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With a sharp sense of humour and a tendency to provoke, Nietzsche challenged the conventions of religion, morality and even philosophy itself, with phrases such as ‘God is dead’, which probably left many people unsure whether he was joking or having an existential crisis.

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As well as being a philosophical genius, he was also a teacher and had a tedious job as a philologist before launching fully into the world of ideas. His mental and physical health were never great, and he spent his last years in a state of mental collapse, living an almost mythical existence. He died in 1900, but his ideas are still around today, influencing everyone from psychologists to musicians, who love his ‘break the rules and be yourself, even if it's a bit, well... disturbing’ vibe.