The genetically perfect human being (aka the Ubermensch) would not feel emotions/pleasure/pain as these only serve to guide a person through problems they do not yet know the answer to. The perfect human being however, would already know all the answers instinctively and would have no need for emotions/pleasure/pain.
Depends one could argue that emotions are superior to callousness, and probably make a good case for it. Even if you are perfect it would be pretty hard to be remotely what you are or were without emotions, after all the expression of them in conjunction with your consciousness are in essence you. the Ubermensche would have control over the ego and super ego, to the extent that negative emotions would not be expressed. After all emotions are what has lead the human race from hunter gatherer societies to the dominant species on the planet. I’m pretty sure if they never felt emotions, we would still be co existing with nature and finding no need to compete.
If you look deeper at the underlying mechanics of emotions and sensations, you’ll realize that we only experience them during unique experiences which we have never had before. It is commonly understood that “you never feel the same emotion twice”; when you go through an experience that is similar to one you have had in the past, the emotions that come with it aren’t as powerful because you have already learned from your experience the first time. Eventually, one becomes desensitized to an experience if it recurs often enough.
An Ubermensch would already recognize any and all experiences instinctively, and would therefore already be desensitized to their emotional impact.
Contrary to Nietzsche’s belief that the Ubermensch would be able to invent values and overcome nihilism, I believe that the Ubermensch would be completely engulfed in nihilism such that their behavior would seem robotic.
Only if an ubermensche were perfect, I don’t think any thing or being is capable of attaining perfection, such a diety cannot exist and be mortal.
I disagree though, I think emotions are key in logical and more importantly moral analysis, Spok would be perplexed I think.
It’s trite to say no one experience is the same as another, but yes that is true. That doesn’t change the importance of caring about something or some one. Imagine if the whole world did not or could not experience emotion, would civilisation even exist? Would you be here to posit the perfect man? Emotions aren’t just psychological baggage they are the very thing that makes us who we are, to lose them or disregard the negatives would be to lose our humanity. Yin and Yang, Good and evil would not exist as terms at all if it were not for the spectrum of emotions.
Yet it is humanity’s goal to strive toward perfection, even though achieving perfection would bring with it meaninglessness.
Progress is a carrot on a stick
That wouldn’t even be a human being.
A human being is an entity that constantly seeks the balance of current situations. Thus cannot be one who already knows all of the answers.
The issues of pain and pleasure are directly related to being conscious of one’s situation. Anyone without those faculties is informationally and mentally blind (a drone). Thus hardly “perfect”.
Understanding the Uebermensch as a “genetically perfect human being” is really weird, but it’s even weirder to think of genetical perfection as an absence of the very qualities that make up a perspective, a being.
maybe your ubermensch, but I truly doubt that N’s version would be like this. It’s interesting that you also consider emotions only instrumental facets of being (super)human.
I myself feel that this ideologised supremely perfect human being is not only impossible; the idea that a being is devoid of emotions/pleasue/pain only follows if time doesn’t inhibit as a fourth dimension (or - insofar as time ticks on a human being will always exhibit emotions/pleasure/pain and this never reach this ideal) - but also I feel it is not how Nietzsche would have intented his Ubermensch to be read.
The ubermensch I feel can be read as an attempt at self-mastery; not self-perfection - because I do not feel that Nietzsche would believe total self-perfection is possible or logically coherent.
All of them, including negative emotions? Would he be able to value things, or how would he experience a loss of a thing valued.
And what of aesthetic sense, such as appreciation of music, or arts? How would he perceive them?
Must strongly disagree, the perfect human would desire the knowledge and research. Nor does it seem logically why a perfect human would be insensetive, as plesure and pain are a motivational factor.