▁The ▁genre ▁of ▁the ▁a ph or ism ▁was ▁already ▁ ▁well ▁established ▁at ▁this ▁time ▁– ▁in ▁the ▁German ▁tradition ▁N iet z sche ' s ▁most ▁important ▁prede cess or ▁was ▁a ▁figure ▁of ▁the ▁En light en ment , ▁Georg ▁Christoph ▁L ichten berg , ▁whose ▁writing ▁N iet z sche ▁greatly ▁adm ired . ▁N iet z sche ' s ▁work ▁is ▁inde bt ed ▁also ▁to ▁Sch open h auer ' s , ▁particularly ▁his ▁A ph or isms ▁for ▁Pract ical ▁Wis dom , ▁ 1 8 5 1 . ▁A bove ▁all ▁is ▁the ▁ ▁" de bt ▁to ▁the ▁French ▁tradition ▁of ▁the ▁a ph or ism ▁– ▁for ▁N iet z sche ' s ▁work ▁is ▁a ▁deliber ate ▁turn ▁west ward ." ▁N iet z sche ▁c ites ▁the ▁French ▁a ph or ists ▁Jean ▁de ▁La ▁Bru y ère ▁and ▁Pro s per ▁M ér im ée , ▁and ▁in ▁A ph or ism ▁ 2 2 1 ▁celebr ates ▁Vol taire . ▁At ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁section ▁N iet z sche ▁mentions ▁La ▁Ro che f ou ca uld ▁– ▁named ▁here ▁as ▁a ▁model , ▁the ▁ep it ome ▁of ▁the ▁a ph or ist ▁– ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁known ▁that ▁N iet z sche ▁had ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁La ▁Ro che f ou ca uld ' s ▁Sent ences ▁et ▁max imes ▁( 1 6 6 5 ) ▁in ▁his ▁library . ▁He ▁had ▁been ▁reading ▁it