Zarathustra (fictional philosopher)
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Zarathustra is a fictional character in Nietzsche's book Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zarathustra).
This work contains much the same philosophical content as Beyond Good and Evil, but in typically Nietzschean fashion, is presented here both in a serious and ironical way. Snubbing his nose at traditional philosophers and serious works, Nietszche models his fiction on the Bible, and indeed monotheism in general. It has been described as Nietzsche's attempt to write a better story than the Bible.
Nietschze's character is named for the ancient religious figure Zarathushtra, often spelled "Zarathustra" or "Zoroaster" in the West. He was the ancient figure behind the religion of Zoroastrianism, but educated Germans in the late 19th century saw him as the founder of monotheism, and it may have been for this reason that Nietzsche chose his name for his work.
"Thus Spake Zarathustra" is also the name of the main theme from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.