The one part of Nietzsche that really caught a hold of me was his idea on the Ubermenschen (superman). Marshall McDaniel said:
There was an article written in Atlantic Monthly, I think, that said Nietzsche could have been perhaps the greatest writers of the church if he had been exposed to TRUE christianity. St Francis said: “Evangelize at all times, even use words, if nessecary.” I tend to place a Judeo-Christian spin on his works when I read them since a lot could be taken one of two ways. Anyways, that’s a thought; now to the real topic of my post.
“Man is something to be overcome, and behold, what have you don’t to overcome him?”
What is the Superman? What must one do to become him? How can one overcome man?
Did Nietzsche perhaps mean evolution as surpassing man? Was he making an allusion to the possibility of genetic engineering? (The idea of genetics was just forming around his time, I wouldn’t put it past him. Despite the insanity part, the man was a genius.) Or did he mean a mental surpassing through intellectual advancement and enlightenment (are we, philosophers, the supermen he talked about)?
What about the “Ultramen”? How are they different and why should they be any less than the supermen?
did nietzsche following in the glittering footsteps of Hegel, just as an interesting thing i warrant…
what is the superman, the man beyond man, what does it mean to you i ask and beseech you to expound your flesh, but not a drop of blood for my man, not a drop of blood…
Given Nietzsche’s attitude toward Darwin, i think the genetic engineering idea a bit far-fetched, unfortunately, by the very nature of his writings Nietzsche is easily misunderstood.
Perhaps, and this is pure conjecture, by the idea of the Superman and other writings of his, Nietzsche was instructing us to become more than we are, not to be self-satisfied, not to think that all of the answers lie in Communism, Capitalism, Jesus Christ, The Buddha, or the Guru Du Jour. When we stop and cease to try to overcome that which we are we die a spiritual death.
Nietzsche’s father was a Lutheran minister who unfortunately died around the time he was five. I am certain that he encountered lots of Christians, however. Nietzsche personally admired Christ and credits the apostle Paul for corrupting Jesus’ message; He even said, “There was only one christian and he died on the cross.” Of course the seeds of Christianity go back at least to Plato.
Thales, i’m not sure about the Hegel reference. If you would be so kind as to elaborate on this i would be deeply indebted to you. Nietzsche’s influences were (among others): Schopenhauer, Emerson, Wagner.