Nietzsche: Will to Power and the Rise of the Superman

The Will to Power and Irrationality

The Will to Power is irrational because the world itself is not rational; it is a state of chaos, becoming, multiplicity, difference, variation, and death. In man, reason serves other bodily functions, such as basic instincts and emotions. The Will to Power is an unconscious, primary force that determines the course of all things that possess purpose. It is a mass of impersonal forces seeking existence.

Nietzsche rejects moral foundations that originate from outside of life itself. He values life; he is not "immoral" in the sense of being against ethics, but rather he possesses his own morality.

The Superman: Transmutation of Values

Who will be able to perform the transmutation? The Superman (or Übermensch). For Nietzsche, there are two different types of morality depending on the individual: Master Morality and Slave Morality.

• The Master: The man who creates his own moral code.
• The Slave: The one tied to moral codes he lacks the courage to confront.

The Superman is a creative force expressing the Will to Power, through which nihilism is overcome by creating a new set of values. He rejects slave morality and gregarious behavior. Nietzsche argues that Christianity operates an inversion of ancient, aristocratic, and active values, replacing them with a morality of resentment.

The Superman has the determination to create values faithful to the world of life. He lives in finitude, does not hide from the horror of existence, enjoys risk, and opposes egalitarianism. He loves the intensity of life. In conclusion, the Superman is the energetic affirmation of life, the master of himself, and a free spirit.

Active Nihilism and the New Morality

Nietzsche distinguishes between two types of nihilism, focusing on Active Nihilism. This philosophy demonstrates how dominant values are a mere nothing—an invention. Nietzsche is nihilistic in this sense, as he proposes the complete destruction of all current values and their replacement with radically new ones. This nihilism is a necessary stage for the arrival of a new morality and the emergence of the Superman.