Interesting choice. But would the Ubermensch be a leader of men? Would he be a man of war, a man of peace, a man of resistance? I'm not sure he would be. He'd be more occupied with his own psychological authority and the creation of his own "law tables". I doubt he would be concerned with nationalistic issues or leading followers. In other words I think he would be deeply anarchistic.Originally Posted by Des Essientes
I tend to agree though its hard to say for sure. I do however highly doubt that a devout muslim would qualify as a superman. And that would go for an adherent of any religion - Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, ect.
Having just re-read the last bit of Heart of Darkness, I was struck by how superman-like the character of Kurtz was. He'd gone beyond conventional morality; he was strong, able, exceptional; he was an artist, a poet and a painter and a musician; he was his own law.
Now I doubt Nietzsche would have imagined his supermen out in the jungle amassing ivory and putting heads on spikes... but the comparison is undeniably fitting in many ways.
Edit*
I've thought more about this... I don't think Kurtz would qualify as a bonafide superman... but I can't say exactly why! When you abandon conventional morality I do not see how you do not then inevitably slip into a place where anything goes. I don't see how people do not become mere means, and considering Nietzsche's attack on Kant's categorical imperative, in addition to other remarks he made, I think this interpretation of mine has some basis. Perhaps if the superman restricts his sphere of activity to art and science and philosophy, maybe then he can manage to be supra-moral without thereby becoming dangerous.
And I don't think Nietzsche was writing for men of action, for men in business or politics. Industrialism, nationalism - such things would repel a superman I'd expect, make him turn inward, towards art, science, philosophy - towards creativity.
If I'm right now then I was wrong before. The superman likely abstains from commerce and politics and so its unlikely that he would be the monster I accused him of being before.
I still have a lot of thinking to do on this subject though.
Last edited by Darcy88; 08-18-2011 at 11:43 PM.
It goes to the heart of religion and philosophy: What is the most correct way for "I" to think? What is the most correct way for "I" to be? How would the most perfect human being think? How would the most perfect human being live and be? ...
The Superman would never strive for perfection, he is not a saint and has no wish to be.
"The Superman is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the Superman shall be the meaning of the earth." (Thus Spoke Zarathustra) -- Sounds like a striving after some sort of perfectionism, otherwise why write it, why bother, why care. Of course, we all know perfection is impossible, but that doesn't stop us attempting to conceptualize the "most perfect" human type.
I can will to do nothing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HseD...eature=related
I am whatever I will.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjj9-...eature=related
The world has many meanings, none which matter.
What's that supposed to mean?
It doesn't matter.
Music matters. Literature reveals all the peculiarities of the human spirit but music goes right to the core like nothing else. Nietzsche wrote: “Without music, life would be a mistake.” He even thought that music could replace religion/mysticism as the sole focus of the "soul".
Two epics at different ends of the spectrum:
Vaughan-Williams: Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxdOYgTXtH8
Rainbow: Stargazer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6W7j...eature=related
I'll stop now.
Last edited by Panglossian; 08-23-2011 at 05:16 AM.
Panglos,i think your description of Nietzsche as a quasi religious philosopher and his eventual descent into his 'messianic' quality and his own 'idealism' is spot on. At last somebody 'gets' what Nietzsche was about and how he failed to break from the romantic idealism and religiousity he so vehemently rejects in others. Some Great insights he unearthed about human morality though.
Yeah, thanks,Nietzsche's genius and foibles are fascinating from a psychological point of view: I think a lot can be learned by just following and thinking about the intense processes of his philosophical evolution. I often wonder where his thinking would have gone if he'd lived healthily into his 60s, 70s, 80s.
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