Two interpretations of the concept of the “Übermensch” in Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy

Abstract

This paper analyzes the controversy surrounding the concept of the Overman (Übermensch) in Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy, distinguishing between two main interpretations: one in which the Overman is understood as an ideal separate from man, and another in which he is presented as a higher type of human. The aim of this paper is not to provide a detailed analysis of this concept, but to show its relationship to the idea of man in Nietzsche’s later philosophy. I argue that although “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” gives a central place to the figure of the Overman, rejecting the philosophical category of man, in his later texts Nietzsche introduces the Übermensch as a type of man who remains within the bounds of humanity. I present the contradictory conceptions of the Overman in this work as two strategies: the Overman as a symbolic figure is used to criticize Christian ideals and the type of human being they shape, whereas the concept of a superior type of human being serves as a model for a practical vision of human cultivation.