Throughout Friedrich Nietzsche’s formative years, the absence of a stable Father figure created an intense longing for a strong male leader. During the winter of 1882-1883, while hiking in the Swiss Alps, Nietzsche conceived the vision of the Übermensch. The lack of stability young Nietzsche experienced created a flood of uncontrollable emotions that permeated his “conscious and unconscious mind, creating mayhem” (Cybulska 8). The Übermensch (or the “overman”) provided the philosopher with the tools needed to heal the fractured psyche and begin the process of self-individuation. Nietzsche envisioned a powerful, ingenious man who no longer remained trapped within a state of creative and intellectual stagnation. Nietzsche’s prophetic voice in Thus Spoke Zarathustra describes a complacent human species that would “rather go back to animals than overcome humans” (Nietzsche 5). The “overman” breaks through the confinements of mediocrity and prevents humankind from permanently regressing to an ugly primitive form. He submerges into the spiritual depths and resurfaces armed with profound knowledge—he becomes fearless.
To become the “overman,” the human subject must reject herd mentality and embrace intense suffering. There are three stages on the path to becoming the Übermensch; Nietzsche refers to these stages as the “three metamorphoses of the spirit” (16). The first phase requires the individual to kneel “down like a Camel” (16) to become burdened and humble oneself before embarking on the voyage toward self-discovery and personal liberation. The camel accepts life’s trials and tribulations, which results in a personal transfiguration that alienates him from the wider community. He realizes that functioning as an ordinary member of society is no longer a viable option and decides to forge his own path to cope with the bleak meaninglessness of human existence.
The second stage of the metamorphosis involves becoming a lion. The lion must utter the “sacred No” (17), hunt “down its freedom” (16) and reject traditional values and rules. The dragon in Thus Spoke Zarathustra symbolizes the status quo and its institutions. According to Zarathustra, the “values of millennia gleam” (17) on the dragon’s scales. Throughout history, the institutions of indoctrination consumed the essence of humanity, creating a complacent, docile, and cowardly creature. Nietzsche demands the apostasy of all Western philosophical thought and, in particular, the abandonment of Christianity, which he believes to have suppressed human creativity and the “potentialities of man” (Ojimba et al. 18). If the Übermensch does not overcome this abysmal descent, art, and the ability to think freely will become a relic. The third and final stage of the metamorphosis requires the lion to become a child and voice the “sacred yes” (Nietzsche 17). The child creates “new values” (Nietzsche 17) and represents a new beginning where humankind finally breaks free from the chains of tradition.
Zarathustra proclaims that “God is dead!” (5); he imagines a world where the demiurge no longer meddles in human affairs. The overman’s strength amid suffering and the power gained from transcending personal anguish replace the religious experience. The Übermensch acquires faith in himself; he becomes a powerful creator and eradicates the human need for a God. From Nietzsche’s perspective, humanity must focus on the earth and the present moment to prevail. He warns the earth’s inhabitants to ignore “those who speak to you of extraterrestrial hopes!” (6). Nietzsche’s new world order is one where man will no longer stare deep into the heavens and witness the divine. The importance of mankind and his earthly domain becomes paramount; in Nietzsche’s world, nothing is more significant than the Übermensch. His imperfect flesh leads the way. The overman’s earthly kingdom is both a terrifying and beautiful prospect.
The Übermensch ignores the freedom of ordinary human beings; their sentient nature is worthless compared to the overman’s. Nietzsche regards the ordinary person as a sacrificial lamb that exists beneath the Übermensch. Zarathustra states that he loves those who “sacrifice themselves for the earth, so that the earth may one day become the overman’s” (8). Friedrich Nietzsche’s new world order envisages the domination of the masses. It is the reconfiguration of a pre-existing order. Nietzsche’s Übermensch replaces the state/monarch; he becomes an emperor in a faithless, secular world. The inhabitants of this new earth bend to the overman’s will and eventually perish in the process. One individual’s progress often depends on the sacrifice of another individual.
Works Cited
Cybulska, Eva. “Nietzsche’s Übermensch: A Glance Behind the Mask of Hardness.” Indo – Pacific Journal of Phenomenology, vol. 15, no. 1, 2015, p 8. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/nietzsches-übermensch-glance-behind-mask-hardness/docview/1692762431/se-2 Accessed October 12
Nietzsche, Fredrich. Thus Spoke Zarathustra A Book for All and None, Edited and Translated by Adrian Del Caro, Cambridge University Press, 2013.
Ojimba Anthony, Yammeluan Bruno. “Fredrich Nietzsche’s Superman and Its Religious Implications.” Journal of Philosophy, Culture and Religion, vol.45, 2019, p 18. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/270187928.pdf Accessed October 15