Übermensch
Concept · Friedrich Nietzsche · Philosophy, stage 1: Learn the vocabulary
The Übermensch, usually translated as 'overman' or 'superman,' is the figure Nietzsche uses in Thus Spoke Zarathustra to describe someone who creates their own values after the death of God has removed inherited ones. This person does not look outside themselves for meaning or for moral rules handed down by religion or tradition. Nietzsche presents the idea more as a goal to aim at than a finished type of person, and he never gives it a strict definition.
Why it matters
It is the clearest statement of Nietzsche's alternative to inherited morality: when old certainties collapse, build new values instead of despairing.
Part of
Sources
- Friedrich Nietzsche Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyCovers the Übermensch inside Nietzsche's wider critique of morality.
- Nietzsche Internet Encyclopedia of PhilosophyA shorter overview to read before the Stanford entry.
