Nietzsche’s Philosophy: Values, Morality, and the Superman
Nietzsche’s Life and Intellectual Context
Nietzsche was born in 1844 in Weimar, during a period of significant upheaval. The French Revolution of 1789 had ended absolute monarchy, ushering in a new era of political, economic, and social development known as liberalism. The liberal-bourgeois revolutions facilitated the transition from a stratified society to a class-based society, primarily composed of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The proletariat would soon become aware of their subjugation, leading to the labor movement, influenced by Karl Marx’s philosophy.
Based on the concept of alienation, Marx proposed an egalitarian society founded on the socialization of the means of production. Nietzsche criticized this idea, as it clashed with his concept of the Superman, who breaks free from the masses and slave morality, imposing a new, personal morality. Politically, a deep-rooted nationalist sentiment spread throughout Europe, coupled with the needs of the industrial revolution, facilitating the unification of Germany.
The 19th century also saw the rise of Romanticism, an artistic and cultural movement characterized by the rejection of reason and the exaltation of passion and instinct, mirroring Nietzsche’s own spirit. Richard Wagner, a prominent figure in Romanticism, formed a close friendship with Nietzsche and significantly influenced his passionate perception of reality. Simultaneously, science experienced rapid growth, particularly in quantum and nuclear physics, with groundbreaking work by figures like Albert Einstein and Max Planck. This culminated in a new philosophical approach: positivism.
Developed by Comte, Spencer, and Stuart Mill, with roots in British empiricism and Kantian phenomenalism, positivism is characterized by a scientific framework.
Reversing Values: Nietzsche’s Core Philosophy
In his philosophy, Nietzsche aimed to reverse the values that had dominated the philosophical tradition. These values, most notably expressed in Platonic philosophy and later popularized by Christianity, established associations such as:
- World of essences (of being) – stability – reality – good – reason
- Material world (immanent) – becoming – unreal – false – sensuality – evil
Nietzsche proposed to dismantle this dichotomy, which he believed stifled life and devalued the very elements that fostered growth. To achieve this, he sought to invert the Platonic value system:
- World of essences (of being) – stability – reason – unreal – false – evil
- Material world (immanent) – becoming – sensuality – reality – truth – good
Therefore, his critique of philosophy encompasses traditional ontology (as reflected in the text), traditional epistemology (classical theories of true knowledge), and traditional morality (classical concepts of Good and Evil). Nietzsche promoted an irrational, emotive approach to reality, emphasizing artistic expression as the sole means of fully capturing the diversity and richness of life.
The Superman and the Eternal Return
Nietzsche’s proposal, as outlined in his masterpiece Thus Spoke Zarathustra, is the replacement of the common, decadent man, burdened by transcendence, with the Superman. The Superman is an innocent, joyful individual who embraces life in its entirety (in its multiple and ever-changing dimensions), creates values in a pluralistic and creative way, and longs for the eternal return of the same, reflecting a profound love of life.