1. QUESTION:
Even though Friedrich Nietzsche rejected the idea of a Judeo-Christian God, he was a man obsessed by the idea of religion and didn’t entirely dismiss the idea of a Godlike figure. Given the fact that so much of our 21st century pop culture is saturated with superhero figures, can you list a few ways in which Nietzsche addresses this in his philosophy and writings?
ANSWER:
Anyone who has spent a little bit of time reading the work of Nietzsche will not be surprised reading about his doubts and rejection that he held on Christianity.
One of the things that’s so interesting about Nietzsche, and why his theories are still debated and discussed, is because even if your beliefs don’t align with his, there’s no denying that his prose is poetic, even if you’re reading it through a translation.
Nietzsche addressed this concept early on in a novel titled “Thus Spake Zarathustra”, back in 1883.The similarities that exist between the book’s protagonist, Zarathustra, and the idea/image that we have in our heads about what Superman is can be easily spotted.
A person/figure whom has superhuman type of abilities and puts it upon themselves to help the weak, even though they generally live somewhat tortured lives because they reject the ideals and obsessions of the masses.
Nietzsche addresses this in his book, but he does so by comparing the people we are today to our ancestors. He’s able to ground it by comparing our scientific and technological achievements to our primordial ancestors.
He does as a way of making the point… what comes next after us? Nietzsche believed that this would be determined by a person’s approach to life and the qualities they held that would determine this.
The idea of a more “advanced person” didn’t necessarily mean that a person would need superhuman strength or brain power. Nietzsche’s view point is an interesting one because of the infatuation that our society has with the Marvel and DC films.
God like people who have the ability to change the direction of the world in hopes for a better tomorrow.
2. QUESTION:
In his book Beyond Good and Evil, Friedrich Nietzsche often reiterates one of his most favorite phrases “the will to power” (Nietzsche 72). He puts forward his theory while bringing up the will to power many times. What exactly does Nietzsche mean by this statement?
ANSWER;
Friedrich Nietzsche talks a lot about the concept of life, humans, and the main driving force that accompanies each action.
In his book, he also discusses the prejudices of philosophers, the free spirit, the concepts of religion, the history of morals, and our virtues.
When Nietzsche talks about the will to power, he’s directly referring to life itself, as well as the powerful force that makes life, life. He believes the force comprises every willed action of an entire life, every urge, every instinct, and every drive.
Nietzsche continued, “…Assuming that we succeeded in explaining our entire life of drives as the organization and outgrowth of one basic form of will; assuming we could trace all organic functions back to this will to power and find that it even solved the problem of procreation and nutrition; then we will have earned the right to clearly designate all efficacious force as: will to power” (Nietzsche 36).
Nietzsche argues that the will to power is a driving force that establishes all other forces; he believes it is the drive of human actions.