Nietzsche's Critique of Politics, the State, and Democracy

Nietzsche's View on Politics as Illusion

For Friedrich Nietzsche, conventional politics belongs to the realm of pure illusion. He argued that politics, as historically practiced, was merely a battleground where competing interests clashed, offering prospective promises of future achievements—promises he viewed as ultimately hollow.

The Potential for Genuine Community

Nietzsche saw potential value in political action only when focused on rebuilding the people (das Volk) and fostering the ideal of a genuine community. He believed only such a community could rescue humanity from the dire state caused by the democratic egalitarianism promoted by modernity through its action. For Nietzsche, there could be no authentic politics separate from the people, as only they are essentially political. This requires appealing to fundamental political needs like organization and leadership, but integrated within a cohesive whole, distinct from superficial political practices.

Critique of the State

Nietzsche regarded the State as one of the greatest perversions created by humankind. He described the State as:

• An abstract entity with depersonalized behavior.
• Treating individuals indiscriminately.

Consequently, when the individual becomes subject to and dependent on it, they lose their individuality, creativity, and freedom. In a stark assessment, Nietzsche asserted that submitting to or accepting the state turns the individual into a servant, reducing them to a sheep-like state of conformity. He believed that only when the state is overcome will the true human potential—the Übermensch (Superman)—emerge.

High Politics and the End of the State

In short, Nietzsche's idea is that as humanity matures politically, it will engage with politics through the lens of 'high politics'. This culminates when the Übermensch replaces the 'last man'. At that point, and only then, will the State become completely unnecessary.

Critique of Modern Democracy

For Nietzsche, modern democracy not only dethroned the king and secularized divine authority but ultimately replaced the religious herd with a political herd. Within this new flock, individuals become timid, sacrificing their innate individuality and surrendering to the mediocrity of the masses. He argued that democratic egalitarianism reduces humans to subjective, inconsistent, and banal beings. Instead of achieving higher potential, individuals regress towards insignificance. This marks the moment when 'the people' cease to exist as a genuine entity and dissolve into the 'mass'.