“With great power comes great responsibility.” Superman

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Superman (Übermensch)

In Thus Spoke Zarathustra, the concept superman (Übermench) is mostly preached by Zarathustra. Nietzsche portrays Zarathustra as a preacher, a teacher and a lawgiver of his own values to others, his Übermench. In other words, he is the creator of his own values. Zarathustra ranks as the figures of Buddha, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad. Zarathustra preaches Superman as a seeker of intellectual war where he freely expresses his own thought. Zarathustra teaches that man must be overcome, in order to reach the beyond man, the superman. He says, “I teach you the superman, man is something that should be overcome.”

The superman, Zarathustra says, is the meaning of the earth and warns them to reject those who place faith in no-earthly hopes. He affirms,

The overman is the meaning of the earth! I entreat you brethren, remain true to the earth, and do not believe those who speak to you supra-terrestrial hopes, preserve himself from at all cast!

Moreover, Superman signifies reliance, a new awareness of freedom and responsibility, and an opportunity for creative action. This would guide man to act in such a way that he never harms himself and others and finally being liberated and a creator of values. Superman possesses a certain greatness of character and is the one who creates oneself. Furthermore, Nietzsche argues that, after the Death of God one has to accept for oneself the God-like role of being the originator of truth and one’s oneself. It represents man constantly striving to overcome himself. Overcoming and striving is an important part of becoming what one is. Man is not to be preserved, he is to be overcome.

In addition, the self-overcoming for Nietzsche is identical to will to power. Self overcoming is also the key to creativity and creativity is a manifestation of power.

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