Nietzsches Superman Essay - 1056 Words

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Though when most people think of superheroes they think of the type with super powers, the original idea of the ‘superman’ was developed by Friedrich Nietzsche in the 1800s. The ubermensch (literally overman in German) never had extra-ordinary powers and wasn’t developed as the protector of man. Instead, the superman is a person who has overcome all the flaws of mankind and is essentially ‘perfect.’ This idea, though it was thought of as an ideal goal that all people should strive for, has almost completely been used for less-than-good agendas. The details of what Nietzsche’s superman is supposed to be and how that compares with how it was used to the advantage of many dictatorships and other oppressive†¦show more content†¦He felt the idea of the superman as well as other Nietzsche writings gave him and the Nazis the right and the reason to take over what they wished and impose the beliefs they wished. In fact , Hitler believed himself to be a superman. This belief is evident by the way Hitler acted during his reign as the leader of the Nazi party. The attempted destruction of the Jewish people as a race was actually based on writings by Nietzsche. In Hitler’s mind the Jews were inferior and therefore no compassion should be given to them. Hitler, of course, took this once step further and actually killed many of the ‘weak.’ During World War II Hitler even issued every German soldier a copy of one of Nietzsche’s writings, Thus Spake Zarathustra. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;National Socialism and Fascism also spawned from Nietzsche and his thoughts on society. Nietzsche himself was very much socialist in his beliefs which is evident in much of what he wrote. Though socialism may seem far from Nietzsche’s idea of the superman, it is actually very close because the ruler is looked at as a superman who makes all decisions and knows what is best at all times. Thi s can be seen in many societies such as Italy and Germany in World War II, and to some extent The Soviet Union. In each of these cases the ruling party or man used Nietzsche’s beliefs to rationalize their rampant wars, hatred, and genocide. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;AShow MoreRelatedFriederich Nietzsche and His Philosophies Essay1394 Words   |  6 PagesFriederich Nietzsche and His Philosophies Friederich Nietzsche was born in 1844 in the Prussian province of Saxony. He was the offspring of a long line of clergymen including his father, who was the pastor of a Lutheran congregation. His childhood was consumed with the haunting death of his father and, soon after, brother. After enrolling in school, he suffered from intense, painful headaches and myopia which caused burning sensations and blurred vision. This may have been syphilis and itRead More Analysis of Dostoevsky and Nietzsches Literature Essay5384 Words   |  22 PagesAnalysis of Dostoevsky and Nietzsches Literature   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Friedrich Nietzsche once said, â€Å"Dostoevsky, the only one who has taught me anything about psychology.† The two writers share many similarities and differences. Dostoevsky clearly had an effect on the thinking of Nietzsche. The two would be considered both philosophers and psychologists. Both writers became prominent in the late 19th century in Germany and Russia respectively. Dostoevsky was noted for his Russian literary classics and wouldRead MoreEssay about Nietzsche and the Prophet2225 Words   |  9 PagesNietzsche and the Prophet According to Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, the meaning of human existence is to make room for the â€Å"Superman†: a superhuman who perseveres in its capacity for unlimited self-creation. (Pg. 49)[1] In order for humankind to embrace its self-creative nature and allow for the transcendence into this superhuman condition, however, we must first learn to destroy our present tables of values; it is our desperate adherence to traditional (religious) valuesRead More Beyond Good and Evil: Nietzsches Philosophy on Good and Evil1123 Words   |  5 PagesFriedrich Nietzsche was a philosopher in the 1800’s. His work has since influenced, impacted, and brought forth new questions for many philosophers to follow. One of Nietzsche’s famous writings Beyond Good and Evil expresses his views on society and the two different classes it holds, slave and master. He expresses his belief that the two are in warfare with one another, the strong (master) figh ting for the will to power, while the weak (slave) tries to pull the master down to their level using clandestineRead MoreEssay on Theory of Alienation: Marx and Nietzsche2375 Words   |  10 Pagestruly free and utilizing our social and political powers for social relations. To Marx, to be truly free, we must have the freedom to control our social relations. Like Marx, Nietzsche is a theorist of alienation, but he believes that man is alienated through morality and our progression through the slave morality. Nietzsche broadens this explanation throughout his book On the Genealogy of Morals. Nietzsche’s problem is the origin of the moral standard of â€Å"good and evil.† He explains that the originallyRead MoreAnalysis Of NietzschesThe Madman And New Mortality1363 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Madman†. To understand if we have killed God in this postmodern world and become all of his murders we need to analyze religion, technology and what the meaning of belief is. In all honesty we are closer than we were before to understanding what Nietzsche was trying to communicate in â€Å"The Madman† and â€Å"New Mortality†, this is greatly due to technological advances in the twentieth and twenty first century. Things such as space exploration, computers, general acceptance that anyone can believe anythingRead M oreKierkegaard And Nietzsche And Existentialism989 Words   |  4 Pagesexistentialism in their works, Soren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche are considered two of the first and significant philosophers to the existentialist movement. They focused on subjective human experience and were interested in the struggle to escape boredom and find meaning in life. Kierkegaard and Nietzsche also stressed the importance of making free choices and how these choices change the identity of the individual. Both Kierkegaard and Nietzsche felt that life is irrational and saw one’s existenceRead MoreFriedrich Nietzsche, The German Philosopher965 Words   |  4 PagesTia Holenstein Professor Tevanyan RS 100 20 October 2015 Nietzsche and Agnosticism I chose to conduct my research on Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher. One of the main reasons I decided on him, is because of my personal beliefs. I am agnostic and Nietzsche’s philosophy has an atheistic view on religion, which I resonate with. Nietzsche was born in a small village in Germany on October 15th 1844. He often spoke of an idea called â€Å"life-affirmation†, which basically means questioning everythingRead MoreEssay about Dostoevsky and Nietzsches Overman2123 Words   |  9 Pagesis not a poor definition. But it eliminates parts of Nietzsches concept of the overman, or superman, which are essential to an understanding of this idea.    Walter Kaufmann provides a detailed analysis of Nietzsches philosophy in his work Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist, a book which Thomas Mann called a work of great superiority over everything previously achieved in Nietzsche criticism and interpretation. Kaufmann outlines several essential characteristics of the overmanRead More Philosophy and Religion - Are they Compatible? Essay3652 Words   |  15 Pagesimplies that it did, at one time, have life or vitality. Friedrich Nietzsche uses this phrase to make a point, to define an event, which signifies the last mans life as pathetic. Perhaps we realize that God is not dead; perhaps our belief in God is so sure, that even contemplating Nietzsches ideas appalls us. The truth is, his ideas make us think. They make us contemplate our beliefs and our mentality. I suggest that Nietzsche has a point; we must discover the role of religion in our lives. Does