Friedrich NietzscheBy Oneib Khan,Francisco Ciavattone, Aria DiMeo, Leah Meehan, and Sean Whitesell
(1844-1900) "All sciences are now under the obligation to prepare the ground for the future task of the philosopher, which is to solve the problem of value, to determine the true hierarchy of values."
Friedrich Wilhelm (William) Nietzsche:
Background:
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a nineteenth century German philosopher whose ideas differed with those of Christianity and traditional definition of morality. Nietzsche was interested in the world we live in, rather than the idea of the world beyond. He believed in “life, creativity, and power” and in the development of both individual and cultural health. His philosophy revolves around “life affirmation”. He is one of the first existentialists and has inspired many poets, novelists, artists, dancers, philosophers, psychologists, and sociologists (Wicks, 2011).
Life: (Brown) 1844: Friedrich Nietzsche born at Röcken, Germany.
1849: Nietzsche's father dies when Nietzsche was five.
1850: Joseph Nietzsche, the brother of Nietzsche, dies on January 9th. The family moves to Naumburg to live with other relatives. Nietzsche attends elementary school here.
1853: He enrolls in a school in Naumburg
1858: He leaves his school. Most of his grades were mediocre, except for in religion
1859: He enrolls at Pforta, a school with only 200 students. Reached the top of his class in Latin and Greek.
1859: From Nietzsche's Diary 1. If we wish to learn anything good, we cannot always remain at home. 2. Our dear parents do not want this; we therefore comply with our parents' wishes. 3. Our loved ones are in God's hands; we are constantly accompanied by their thoughts. 4. If we work hard, then sad thoughts vanish. 5. If all this is of no avail, then pray to God Almighty.
1864: Graduates from Pforta and then enrolls as student of theology and philology at the University of Bonn
1865: Continues his studies at the University of Leipzig, where he discovers the works of Schopenhauer, such as The World as Will and Representation 1865: Becomes a founding member of The Classical Philology Club at Leipzig.
1868:In Leipzig, Nietzsche meets his kin Richard Wagner, a musician, whose musical style of Chromaticism (the sharpening or flattening of notes) excited him.
1869: He is appointed as professor of classical philology at the University of Basel.
1872: Begins to write The Birth of Tragedy (Dionysus vs. Apollo) 1883: Begins to write Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Richard Wagner dies
1885: Completes the book Thus Speaks Zarathustra 1886: Publication of Beyond Good and Evil which censures the idea of morality in life
1889: Mental breakdown which led to Dementia ending
1889-1897: His mother takes care of him in Jena and Naumburg.
1897: Easter:Death of Nietzsche's mother. Elisabeth moves him to Weimar.
1900: Nietzsche dies in Weimar
What Influenced Nietzsche?
From the minute he was born, outside influences pushed Friedrich Nietzsche towards the man he was to become. Nietzsche was born into a highly Christian family; his uncles and grandfather were Lutheran ministers and his other grandfather was a devout Protestant. Nietzsche was raised in the center of religion. At the age of fifteen, Nietzsche would write, “If all this was to no avail, then pray to God Almighty,” signifying his deep entrenchment in religious ideals. (Brown)
Nietzsche, however, would not remain a Christian and there was a number of circumstances that propelled him away from religion. Probably the most important of these circumstances was just the time period which Nietzsche lived in. In the 19th century, modern rationalism and empiricism were flourishing in Europe; anything
Arthur Schopenhauer, the man who influenced Nietzsche's view of the world
that was declared needed logic to support it. Nietzsche was affected by this atmosphere just as many other philosophers of the time. (Kagan, 2007) Secondly, the death of Nietzsche’s father and younger brother when Nietzsche was only five did not help the situation. (Brown)
Once Nietzsche entered school, his studies pushed him further. He was an exemplary student of Greek and Latin and was therefore able to digest readings such as Prometheus. Many philosophers argue that was where Nietzsche developed his idea of Apollonian vs. Dionysian instincts from. (Johnson 1998)
Later on, Nietzsche continues his studies by majoring in philology and soon become the head of philology at the University of Leipzig where he uncovered the works of the influential philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. In Schopenhauer’s major work, The World as Will and Representation, he argued that each human has a different perception of the world. It is the will of the human mind that creates the world, and each human mind creates a unique world. Nietzsche adored this philosophy and it was where he got his ideas on individual over society. (Arthur, 2002) Nietzsche also admired the extreme chromaticism which his relative Richard Wagner used. The two extremes of sharpening and flattening notes was an inspiration to Nietzsche to look at the extremes of life, the Apollonian and the Dionysian. (Brown)
Aside from these external influences, there was also one internal circumstance that some scholars argue as detrimental to Nietzsche. Scientists found out that Nietzsche inherited a brain disease from his father. Nietzsche was already a fragile man (he suffered numerous ailments that made his life very sedentary), and by the age of 45, suffered a mental breakdown ultimately leading to dementia. This degenerative brain disease, some argue, proves that Nietzsche was truly insane, and that most of his writings were written by a madman. (Brown) “Thinking is not simply a logical and intellectual process, but it involves beliefs, imagination, commitment, emotional feelings, desires, and other elements.”
Nietzsche’s Perspective on human nature
Friedrich Nietzsche firmly believed that humans were grappled by two instincts: Dionysian instincts- disorder or anything that goes against rationalism and Apollonian instincts- ideas of structure or distinction- anything with a form in mind. The two gods, Dionysus and Apollo, were in a perpetual struggle, just as these two instincts continually try to overshadow the other in the human mind. Human nature, in Nietzsche’s mind, had the tendency to side with Dionysus. It is only with a fusion of Dionysian and Apollonian ideals that a person could strive to become the best, but contemporary society was strictly focused on order, rationalism, and structure, therefore avoiding Dionysian principles. (Friedrich Nietzsche)
One of the more peculiar and extreme ideas of Nietzsche was that of “Eternal Recurrence.” Nietzsche believed that a person lives through the same life forever. All the moments of happiness and sadness, victory and loss are constantly being revisited by a person. After death, humans are doomed to live through life again the exact same way they lived in before. (Hopkins, Alan M, 2003)
Nietzsche, "If you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares into you."
Nietzsche also had a different view on free will. Many people incorrectly assume that Nietzsche completely rejected free will; this was not the case. It is true that Nietzsche did not agree with the Christian view of free will because it fostered guilt and sin but instead saw two different kinds of will. Through Nietzsche's eyes, "free will" was a malapropism, because that would mean that humans could do whatever they wanted, rather, Nietzsche believed that humanity had either strong will or weak will. The people with strong will would become the better humans while the weak willed humans would rot in the world. (Hopkins, Alan M, 2003)
The main force that drove humanity to survive was the “will to power.” The will to power was the human tendency to become the best he or she can be. It is the thirst for power and the thirst to unlock human potential. (Cavalier, Robert)
This poster exudes one of Nietsche famous sayings and ideals: "God is Dead."
Nietzsche also believed in an almost deistic fashion. Nietzsche was ambiguous on his idea of “God;” he either believed that God never existed in the first place or that God died shortly after Creation. Either way, Nietzsche denied God's presence in the modern world. (Friedrich Nietzsche)
Nietzsche’s thoughts on society
Much of Nietzsche’s beliefs on society can be found in his most important work Thus Said Zarathustra.
Nietzsche was at odds with contemporary society. One of the main reasons for it was because he placed the individual above the society. Society was something that kept order in the lives of people through laws and regulations. Society, in the eyes of Nietzsche, forced man to conform to a set rules thereby inhibiting man from reaching his potential. The goal of every person is to reach his human potential because nothing other than the physical world existed. Nietzsche scoffed at religion and the afterlife because humans, an imperfect being, were the ones who first thought of it and were merely used as ideas to "fall back on" if a person failed at life. (Bramann, 1998)
Society, in general, embraced pure Apollonian ideals such as structure, and threw away anything that resembled chaos. Nietzsche believed that both chaos and structure were needed to persevere in life.
Nietzsche most famous work
“With a person it is as with a tree. The more he aspires to the height and light, the more strongly will his roots strive earthward, downward, into the dark, into the deep- into evil.’ From Thus Said Zarathustra (Bramann, 1998)
Society, then, should not impede a person’s ability to grow. A person must do whatever it takes to become the ideal person: the Übermensch. The Übermensch or over-man is someone who overcomes the human condition. He is not tempted by life's indulgences and sees through these illusions of happiness. He is someone who unlocks his ultimate potential. This over-man will do everything in his power for self-betterment even if it means at the expense of others. (Bradley, 2000) Nietzsche encouraged an almost war-like attitude to surpassing humanity; this, however, was not an encouragement of war itself, but that a person must be set on his path. The Übermensch in no way is supposed to be a heartless, cruel, and selfish manipulator; he is meant to be someone more like Jesus, or Muhammad, or the Buddha: The Übermensch is supposed to attain enlightenment and spread that wealth to other people. Many times though, this person must go to great heights and give great sacrifices to surpass humanity and be free of the human condition: he must be strong willed. (Copleston, 1968)
As Nietzsche put it, "Live Dangerously." (Bramann, 1998)
Because of the idea of unlocking human potential, Nietzsche believes that societies that are run by governments and have regulations should not exist; neither should a society that preaches moral code. It is up to the person himself to find his own moral code. Nietzsche was not completely against society though; he believed that the Übermensches of society should become the leaders of society and everyone should follow in their path to success. (Bramann, 1998)
Nietzsche’s Influence on Modern SocietyNietzsche influenced many poets, artists, dancers, and writers. Many fail to realize his influence on Adolf Hitler and the Nazi’s. Hitler found much inspiration within Nietzsche’s writings. Hitler read Thus Spoke Zarathustra and even had some copies made for his soldiers. This book spoke of the truth in morality and power. Although Nietzsche was not anti-Semitic, Hitler saw what he wanted to see through Nietzsche’s writings. . "Hitler often visited the Nietzsche museum in Weimar and published his veneration for the philosopher by posing for photographs of himself staring in rapture at the bust of the great man." Even if Nietzsche did not intend to be inspiration for Hitler, he ended up contributing to many of the ideas which Hitler formed and held.
Hitler and the Nazi ideology of a superior race and the will to power is very similar to Nietzsche’s ideas. Nietzsche envisioned this idea, and Hitler fulfilled the idea. Hitler was attempting to prove himself to be the Übermensch. Hitler despised weakness, just as Nietzsche despised weakness. Both Nietzsche and Hitler wanted to change the community to support the aggressive instinct. Nietzsche phrased what Hitler wanted to be- “the lord of the earth.” The idea of nationalism is also similar to Nietzsche’s ideas. Nationalism influences the people and their ideas to follow the leaders rule. This relates to Nietzsche and his superman idea. Everyone will follow the superman(the leader). His radical ideas lead in the direction of fascism (Thomas).
Another leader in the 2011 society which resembles Nietzsche’s ideas would be Donald Trump. Donald trump believes that everyone should strive to be the best they can be. The world is a “dog eat dog” competition. In order to be the best in a society, one must be out his or her competition. He has said “I wasn't satisfied just to earn a good living. I was looking to make a statement. “ He also said “The point is that you can't be too greedy (ThinkExist, 2011)”. Trump is explaining that he goes big and that he tries to beat out all his competitors to be the best. Nietzsche’s ideas are very similar to what Trump believes in. Although Nietzsche may not have known that he would have influenced some of the worst or best leaders that the world has ever seen. However, Nietzsche did know he would influence someone. He also influenced Rainer Maria Rilke (a poet), Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse (writers), and many others.
Some ideas of Nietzsche present in today’s society: (Brians, 1998)ideas listed from Paul Brians
“ The goal of life should be to find yourself. True maturity means discovering or creating an identity for yourself.
The highest virtue is to be true to yourself (consider these song titles from a generation ago: "I Gotta Be Me," "I Did It My Way").
When you fall ill, your body is trying to tell you something; listen to the wisdom of your body.
People who hate their bodies or are in tension with them need to learn how to accept and integrate their physical selves with their minds instead of seeing them as in tension with each other. The mind and body make up a single whole.
Athletes, musicians, etc. especially need to become so attuned to their bodies that their skills proceed spontaneously from the knowledge stored in their muscles and are not frustrated by an excess of conscious rational thought. (The influence of Zen Buddhism on this sort of thinking is also very strong.)
Sexuality is not the opposite of virtue, but a natural gift that needs to be developed and integrated into a healthy, rounded life.
Many people suffer from impaired self-esteem; they need to work on being proud of themselves.
Knowledge and strength are greater virtues than humility and submission.
Overcoming feelings of guilt is an important step to mental health.
You can't love someone else if you don't love yourself.
Life is short; experience it as intensely as you can or it is wasted.
People's values are shaped by the cultures they live in; as society changes we need changed values.
Challenge yourself; don't live passively.”
Catholic View on Human Nature (Williams, 2009)
Human beings are created in the “image of God” meaning that they are born with an intrinsic dignity. Human beings share certain characteristics with God, such as free will and reason.
Due to this belief, each human is entitled to certain rights. Therefore, government has the responsibility to respect the rights of individuals, such as “life, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and rights to health, shelter, education, and employment.” Therefore, if any government disrespects a person’s right then that government is labeled as illegitimate and immoral.
God created human beings as free creatures and this allows human to make free decisions. God also gave human beings the ability to love. Free will allows a person to choose to turn to God, while at the same time a person is able to reject God. This rejection is known as sin.
The Church believes that all sins originate from original sin (the sin which Adam and Eve committed by choosing the devil over God). Human nature was inclined towards evil because of original sin. According to the Catholic Church, this is the reason evil exists in the world today.
God never turns His back on us. He continually offers His love and a relationship if we accept. God offers us grace which is necessary for salvation. Grace is the supernatural gift that human beings are able to earn and are given through the values and teachings of Jesus Christ. God removes original sin from the soul through grace. Some affects of original sin still remain, meaning people are inclined to commit evil. With this grace, humans are able to do great good-good (the highest goodness in the world) according to both human and God’s standards. A person is able to do great good in the world if he or she accepts the help of God.
Nietzsche’s View on Human Nature (Kaufmann, 1974)
He believed a human being’s dignity depended on if the human being had an “unique position” in the world. A human being had to earn his dignity in order to have dignity. Due to this belief, a new image of man had to be created. He looked at dignity as a task.
Nietzsche believes that fear and laziness prevent humans from reaching their goals and potentials.
In a way, Nietzsche saw animals and man as equal. He believed that humans could rise above the animals, but humans must first develop their higher qualities.
“Culture is seen as a development out of man’s animal nature, but as an improvement upon that nature.”
The majority of men struggle to achieve a creative lifestyle and reach their goals.
He believes that reason cannot create values and morality. An attempt to create values and morality would only lead to nihilism which would impose morality. He believes there is an idea of dichotomy in regards to meaning and values. He explains this through the story of a debtor and collector. He explains how a community is held together through a pledge. Once one breaks the pledge, a debt needs to be collected. Only this debt will repair the community (Aspers, 1974).
He believes that women are unequal to men (compares to how women are not able to become priests in the Catholic Church).
He believes that too much knowledge can be dangerous,
He believes that God has left us, phrasing the term “God is dead.” He also believes that the metaphysical heaven beyond which Catholics believe in has devalued the physical world which we live in now.
He states that everyone should be free spirits and has the right to create their own value; however, this differs with the belief held by Catholics. He believes that humans should use their free spirits to rise above each other.
He loves violence and acts of terror. He also believes each act taken by a human is defined as "good and evil" (comparitive to Catholic Church's beliefs-sin(evil) and repentance or willingness to accept God(good) (Aspers,1974).
He believes personal power is the right way to rule government
A number of Nietzsche's most famous quotes: (Think Exist, 2010)
We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving.
People who have given us their complete confidence believe that they have a right to ours. The inference is false, a gift confers no rights.
What if a demon were to creep after you one night, in your loneliest loneliness, and say, 'This life which you live must be lived by you once again and innumerable times more; and every pain and joy and thought and sigh must come again to you, all in the same sequence. The eternal hourglass will again and again be turned and you with it, dust of the dust!' Would you throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse that demon? Or would you answer, 'Never have I heard anything more divine'?
Existence really is an imperfect tense that never becomes a present.
Does wisdom perhaps appear on the earth as a raven which is inspired by the smell of carrion?
At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid.
A woman may very well form a friendship with a man, but for this to endure, it must be assisted by a little physical antipathy.
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.
Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself.
Copleston, Frederick C. The Review of Metaphysics. 3rd ed. Vol. 21. Philosophy Education Society, 1968. Jstor.org. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20124630. "Donald Trump Quotes." Find the Famous Quotes You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. Thinkexist, 1997-2011. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. http://thinkexist.com/quotes/donald_trump/2.html.
Kagan, Donald, Steven E. Ozment, and Frank M. Turner. The Western Heritage. 8th ed. Vol. 1. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. Print. Kaufmann, Walter Nietzsche. Princeton, Princeton University Press. 1974.
"All sciences are now under the obligation to prepare the ground for the future task of the philosopher, which is to solve the problem of value, to determine the true hierarchy of values."
Friedrich Wilhelm (William) Nietzsche:
Background:
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a nineteenth century German philosopher whose ideas differed with those of Christianity and traditional definition of morality. Nietzsche was interested in the world we live in, rather than the idea of the world beyond. He believed in “life, creativity, and power” and in the development of both individual and cultural health. His philosophy revolves around “life affirmation”. He is one of the first existentialists and has inspired many poets, novelists, artists, dancers, philosophers, psychologists, and sociologists (Wicks, 2011).Life: (Brown)
1844: Friedrich Nietzsche born at Röcken, Germany.
1849: Nietzsche's father dies when Nietzsche was five.
1850: Joseph Nietzsche, the brother of Nietzsche, dies on January 9th. The family moves to Naumburg to live with other relatives. Nietzsche attends elementary school here.
1853: He enrolls in a school in Naumburg
1858: He leaves his school. Most of his grades were mediocre, except for in religion
1859: He enrolls at Pforta, a school with only 200 students. Reached the top of his class in Latin and Greek.
1859: From Nietzsche's Diary 1. If we wish to learn anything good, we cannot always remain at home. 2. Our dear parents do not want this; we therefore comply with our parents' wishes. 3. Our loved ones are in God's hands; we are constantly accompanied by their thoughts. 4. If we work hard, then sad thoughts vanish. 5. If all this is of no avail, then pray to God Almighty.
1864: Graduates from Pforta and then enrolls as student of theology and philology at the University of Bonn
1865: Continues his studies at the University of Leipzig, where he discovers the works of Schopenhauer, such as The World as Will and Representation
1865: Becomes a founding member of The Classical Philology Club at Leipzig.
1868:In Leipzig, Nietzsche meets his kin Richard Wagner, a musician, whose musical style of Chromaticism (the sharpening or flattening of notes) excited him.
1869: He is appointed as professor of classical philology at the University of Basel.
1872: Begins to write The Birth of Tragedy (Dionysus vs. Apollo)
1883: Begins to write Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Richard Wagner dies
1885: Completes the book Thus Speaks Zarathustra
1886: Publication of Beyond Good and Evil which censures the idea of morality in life
1889: Mental breakdown which led to Dementia ending
1889-1897: His mother takes care of him in Jena and Naumburg.
1897: Easter:Death of Nietzsche's mother. Elisabeth moves him to Weimar.
1900: Nietzsche dies in Weimar
What Influenced Nietzsche?
From the minute he was born, outside influences pushed Friedrich Nietzsche towards the man he was to become. Nietzsche was born into a highly Christian family; his uncles and grandfather were Lutheran ministers and his other grandfather was a devout Protestant. Nietzsche was raised in the center of religion. At the age of fifteen, Nietzsche would write, “If all this was to no avail, then pray to God Almighty,” signifying his deep entrenchment in religious ideals. (Brown)
Nietzsche, however, would not remain a Christian and there was a number of circumstances that propelled him away from religion. Probably the most important of these circumstances was just the time period which Nietzsche lived in. In the 19th century, modern rationalism and empiricism were flourishing in Europe; anything
Once Nietzsche entered school, his studies pushed him further. He was an exemplary student of Greek and Latin and was therefore able to digest readings such as Prometheus. Many philosophers argue that was where Nietzsche developed his idea of Apollonian vs. Dionysian instincts from. (Johnson 1998)
Later on, Nietzsche continues his studies by majoring in philology and soon become the head of philology at the University of Leipzig where he uncovered the works of the influential philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. In Schopenhauer’s major work, The World as Will and Representation, he argued that each human has a different perception of the world. It is the will of the human mind that creates the world, and each human mind creates a unique world. Nietzsche adored this philosophy and it was where he got his ideas on individual over society. (Arthur, 2002) Nietzsche also admired the extreme chromaticism which his relative Richard Wagner used. The two extremes of sharpening and flattening notes was an inspiration to Nietzsche to look at the extremes of life, the Apollonian and the Dionysian. (Brown)
Aside from these external influences, there was also one internal circumstance that some scholars argue as detrimental to Nietzsche. Scientists found out that Nietzsche inherited a brain disease from his father. Nietzsche was already a fragile man (he suffered numerous ailments that made his life very sedentary), and by the age of 45, suffered a mental breakdown ultimately leading to dementia. This degenerative brain disease, some argue, proves that Nietzsche was truly insane, and that most of his writings were written by a madman. (Brown)
“Thinking is not simply a logical and intellectual process, but it involves beliefs, imagination, commitment, emotional feelings, desires, and other elements.”
Nietzsche’s Perspective on human natureFriedrich Nietzsche firmly believed that humans were grappled by two instincts: Dionysian instincts- disorder or anything that goes against rationalism and Apollonian instincts- ideas of structure or distinction- anything with a form in mind. The two gods, Dionysus and Apollo, were in a perpetual struggle, just as these two instincts continually try to overshadow the other in the human mind. Human nature, in Nietzsche’s mind, had the tendency to side with Dionysus. It is only with a fusion of Dionysian and Apollonian ideals that a person could strive to become the best, but contemporary society was strictly focused on order, rationalism, and structure, therefore avoiding Dionysian principles. (Friedrich Nietzsche)
One of the more peculiar and extreme ideas of Nietzsche was that of “Eternal Recurrence.” Nietzsche believed that a person lives through the same life forever. All the moments of happiness and sadness, victory and loss are constantly being revisited by a person. After death, humans are doomed to live through life again the exact same way they lived in before. (Hopkins, Alan M, 2003)
Nietzsche also had a different view on free will. Many people incorrectly assume that Nietzsche completely rejected free will; this was not the case. It is true that Nietzsche did not agree with the Christian view of free will because it fostered guilt and sin but instead saw two different kinds of will. Through Nietzsche's eyes, "free will" was a malapropism, because that would mean that humans could do whatever they wanted, rather, Nietzsche believed that humanity had either strong will or weak will. The people with strong will would become the better humans while the weak willed humans would rot in the world. (Hopkins, Alan M, 2003)
The main force that drove humanity to survive was the “will to power.” The will to power was the human tendency to become the best he or she can be. It is the thirst for power and the thirst to unlock human potential. (Cavalier, Robert)
Nietzsche also believed in an almost deistic fashion. Nietzsche was ambiguous on his idea of “God;” he either believed that God never existed in the first place or that God died shortly after Creation. Either way, Nietzsche denied God's presence in the modern world. (Friedrich Nietzsche)
Nietzsche’s thoughts on society
Much of Nietzsche’s beliefs on society can be found in his most important work Thus Said Zarathustra.
Nietzsche was at odds with contemporary society. One of the main reasons for it was because he placed the individual above the society. Society was something that kept order in the lives of people through laws and regulations. Society, in the eyes of Nietzsche, forced man to conform to a set rules thereby inhibiting man from reaching his potential. The goal of every person is to reach his human potential because nothing other than the physical world existed. Nietzsche scoffed at religion and the afterlife because humans, an imperfect being, were the ones who first thought of it and were merely used as ideas to "fall back on" if a person failed at life. (Bramann, 1998)
Society, in general, embraced pure Apollonian ideals such as structure, and threw away anything that resembled chaos. Nietzsche believed that both chaos and structure were needed to persevere in life.
“With a person it is as with a tree. The more he aspires to the height and light, the more strongly will his roots strive earthward, downward, into the dark, into the deep- into evil.’ From Thus Said Zarathustra (Bramann, 1998)
Society, then, should not impede a person’s ability to grow. A person must do whatever it takes to become the ideal person: the Übermensch. The Übermensch or over-man is someone who overcomes the human condition. He is not tempted by life's indulgences and sees through these illusions of happiness. He is someone who unlocks his ultimate potential. This over-man will do everything in his power for self-betterment even if it means at the expense of others. (Bradley, 2000) Nietzsche encouraged an almost war-like attitude to surpassing humanity; this, however, was not an encouragement of war itself, but that a person must be set on his path. The Übermensch in no way is supposed to be a heartless, cruel, and selfish manipulator; he is meant to be someone more like Jesus, or Muhammad, or the Buddha: The Übermensch is supposed to attain enlightenment and spread that wealth to other people. Many times though, this person must go to great heights and give great sacrifices to surpass humanity and be free of the human condition: he must be strong willed. (Copleston, 1968)
As Nietzsche put it, "Live Dangerously." (Bramann, 1998)
Because of the idea of unlocking human potential, Nietzsche believes that societies that are run by governments and have regulations should not exist; neither should a society that preaches moral code. It is up to the person himself to find his own moral code. Nietzsche was not completely against society though; he believed that the Übermensches of society should become the leaders of society and everyone should follow in their path to success. (Bramann, 1998)
Nietzsche’s Influence on Modern SocietyNietzsche influenced many poets, artists, dancers, and writers. Many fail to realize his influence on Adolf Hitler and the Nazi’s. Hitler found much inspiration within Nietzsche’s writings. Hitler read Thus Spoke Zarathustra and even had some copies made for his soldiers. This book spoke of the truth in morality and power. Although Nietzsche was not anti-Semitic, Hitler saw what he wanted to see through Nietzsche’s writings. . "Hitler often visited the Nietzsche museum in Weimar and published his veneration for the philosopher by posing for photographs of himself staring in rapture at the bust of the great man." Even if Nietzsche did not intend to be inspiration for Hitler, he ended up contributing to many of the ideas which Hitler formed and held.
Hitler and the Nazi ideology of a superior race and the will to power is very similar to Nietzsche’s ideas. Nietzsche envisioned this idea, and Hitler fulfilled the idea. Hitler was attempting to prove himself to be the Übermensch. Hitler despised weakness, just as Nietzsche despised weakness. Both Nietzsche and Hitler wanted to change the community to support the aggressive instinct. Nietzsche phrased what Hitler wanted to be- “the lord of the earth.” The idea of nationalism is also similar to Nietzsche’s ideas. Nationalism influences the people and their ideas to follow the leaders rule. This relates to Nietzsche and his superman idea. Everyone will follow the superman(the leader). His radical ideas lead in the direction of fascism (Thomas).
Another leader in the 2011 society which resembles Nietzsche’s ideas would be Donald Trump. Donald trump believes that everyone should strive to be the best they can be. The world is a “dog eat dog” competition. In order to be the best in a society, one must be out his or her competition. He has said “I wasn't satisfied just to earn a good living. I was looking to make a statement. “ He also said “The point is that you can't be too greedy (ThinkExist, 2011)”. Trump is explaining that he goes big and that he tries to beat out all his competitors to be the best. Nietzsche’s ideas are very similar to what Trump believes in. Although Nietzsche may not have known that he would have influenced some of the worst or best leaders that the world has ever seen. However, Nietzsche did know he would influence someone. He also influenced Rainer Maria Rilke (a poet), Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse (writers), and many others.
Some ideas of Nietzsche present in today’s society: (Brians, 1998)ideas listed from Paul Brians
Catholic View on Human Nature (Williams, 2009)
Nietzsche’s View on Human Nature (Kaufmann, 1974)
A number of Nietzsche's most famous quotes: (Think Exist, 2010)
We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving.
People who have given us their complete confidence believe that they have a right to ours. The inference is false, a gift confers no rights.
What if a demon were to creep after you one night, in your loneliest loneliness, and say, 'This life which you live must be lived by you once again and innumerable times more; and every pain and joy and thought and sigh must come again to you, all in the same sequence. The eternal hourglass will again and again be turned and you with it, dust of the dust!' Would you throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse that demon? Or would you answer, 'Never have I heard anything more divine'?
Existence really is an imperfect tense that never becomes a present.
Does wisdom perhaps appear on the earth as a raven which is inspired by the smell of carrion?
At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid.
A woman may very well form a friendship with a man, but for this to endure, it must be assisted by a little physical antipathy.
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.
Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself.
There are no facts, only interpretations.
Bibliography:
Aggot, Kevin. "The Killer." Re:views. 2009. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. http://www.reviews-blog.blogspot.com/.
"Arthur Schopenhauer." Great Phiolosphers. Oregon State University, 2002. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl201/modules/Philosophers/Schopenhauer/schopenhauer.html.
Aspers, Patrik. "Nietzsche Sociology; Sociological Forum." JSTOR: Nietzsche. Springer, Dec. 2007. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20110229.
Bradley, Derek. "Nietzsche's Superman." Michigan State University. Michigain State University, 2000. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. https://www.msu.edu/user/bradle45/nietzsche.htm.
Bramann, Jorn K. "Nietzsche's Zarathustra." Frostburg State University. Frostburg State University, 1998. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. http://faculty.frostburg.edu/phil/forum/index.htm
Brians, Paul. "The Influence of Nietzsche." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 1 Apr. 1998. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/hum_303/nietzsche.html.
Brown, Malcolm. "Nietzsche Chronicle: 1844-1863." Dartmouth College. Web. 10 Sept.
2011.http://www.dartmouth.edu/~fnchron/1844.html#top.
Cavalier, Robert. "Understanding Nietzsches's Will to Power." Department of Phiosophy. Carnegie University. Web. 10 Sept. 2011. http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/cavalier/80254/Nietzsche/W_P.html
Copleston, Frederick C. The Review of Metaphysics. 3rd ed. Vol. 21. Philosophy Education Society, 1968. Jstor.org. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20124630.
"Donald Trump Quotes." Find the Famous Quotes You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. Thinkexist, 1997-2011. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. http://thinkexist.com/quotes/donald_trump/2.html.
Hopkins, Alan M. "Eternal Return." Philosophy at Williams College. Williams College, Fall 2003. Web. 10 Sept. 2011. http://web.williams.edu/philosophy/faculty/awhite/WNL%20web/eternal_return.htm
"Famous Friedrich Nietzsche Quotes -ThinkExist." Find the Famous Quotes You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. 1999-2010. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. http://www.thinkexist.com/english/author/x/author_1443_1.htm
Jacques. "Thus Said Zarathustra." Jacques's Greecy Adventures. 2010. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. http://jacquesingreece.blogspot.com/.
Johnson, W. A. "Apollo & Dionysus: Greeks and the Irrational." Classics | McMicken College. Bucknell University, Fall 1998. Web. 05 Sept. 2011. http://classics.uc.edu/~johnson/myth/dionysus.html.
"Journal of Nietzsche Studies — Hunter College." Hunter College. Web. 30 Aug. 2011.http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/jns/.
Kagan, Donald, Steven E. Ozment, and Frank M. Turner. The Western Heritage. 8th ed. Vol. 1. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. Print.
Kaufmann, Walter Nietzsche. Princeton, Princeton University Press. 1974.
Spivey, Linda. "God Is Dead - Nietzsche -- Nietzsche Is Dead - God - Buy Cheap Humor Posters and Art Prints at DiscountPosterSale.com." Buy Posters and Art Prints for Bargain Prices at DiscountPosterSale.com. 2011. Web. 10 Sept. 2011. http://www.discountpostersale.com/p339993/God-is-Dead---Nietzsche----Nietzsche-is-Dead---God.html .
Thomas, Richard Hinton. "Nietzsche in German Politics and ..." Google Books. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. http://books.google.com/books?id=TSK8AAAAIAAJ.
Wicks, Robert. "Friedrich Nietzsche (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, 2011. Web. 10 Sept. 2011. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nietzsche/.
Williams, Eric. "The Catholic Understanding of Human Nature." Associated Content from Yahoo! - Associatedcontent.com. Yahoo, 3 July 2009. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1884550/the_catholic_understanding_of_human.html?cat=37.