German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was one of the most influential thinkers of the late 1800s, penning critiques on philosophy, religion and social norms. Nietzsche's controversial thoughts on what he saw as religious and political repression emerged early on in his life - as a schoolboy he wrote "Very often submission to the will of God and humility are but a covering mantle for cowardly hesitation to face our destiny with determination."

Thus Spake Zarathustra is Nietzsche's magnum opus on the subject of God, morality and political idealism. The legendary Persian...