ABSTRACT
This essay is a critique of Nietzsche’s conception of man. Much of Nietzsche’s philosophical work has to do with the creation of self or to put it in Nietzsche’s terms, “becoming what one is”. Nietzsche’s philosophy contemplates the meaning of values and their significance to human existence. Given that no absolute values exist, in Nietzsche’s view, the evolution of values on earth must be measured by some other means. How then shall they be understood? The existence of a value presupposes a value-positing perspective, and values are created by human beings as aid for survival and growth. Nietzsche holds that values are our own creations, and they are important to the wellbeing of man and the belief in them are essential to our existence. Hence, man should wage war against any ideology that militate against man’s freedom. Nietzsche sees religion as the main obstacle to man’s freedom thus, God must be dead for man to attain his realization. Nietzsche believes that God is a mental construction of man so for God to die means man should bring God down from the metaphysical realm so that man could see himself as the main force behind existence. This essay points out the basic idea of Nietzsche’s exemplary man (nobleman or superman). We show the merits and demerits of his philosophical discourse on man to the contemporary world. The essay concludes that when Nietzsche’s philosophy has been critically digested and modified, it would serve as an ideological orientation for human emancipation and human development.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pages Title Page
i Certification
ii Dedication
iii Acknowledgements
iv Abstract
v Table of Contents
vi-vii Introduction
viii-xiv
Chapter One:
Nietzsche’s Discourse on Man
1.1 Introduction 1-2 1.2 Human Existence: Nietzschean Contemplation 2-4
1.3 Man, Culture and Religion: Nietzsche’s Analysis 4-7
1.4 Self, Freedom and Responsibility 8-9
1.5 Bad Conscience, Pity and Guilt: Individuality and Community 9-11
Chapter Two:
The Death of God! Nietzsche’s Proclamation
2.0. Introduction 12-13
2.1 Genealogy of Morals and the Religious Man 13-20
2.2 Fallacy of Human Nature and the Revaluation of Morality 20-24
2.4 The Will to Power: An Expose 24-39
2.5. The Ascetic Ideals: Nietzsche’s Opposition 39-42
2.6. The Death of God and Nietzsche’s Thesis of the Superman 42-51
Chapter Three: A Critical Analysis of Nietzsche’s Theory of Man
3.0. Introduction 52-53
3.1 A Constructive Analysis of Nietzsche’s Discourse on Man 54-60
vii 3.2 A Deconstructive Analysis of Nietzsche’s Conception of Human Nature 60-62
Chapter Four: Benefits and Remodification of Nietzsche’s Philosophical Anthropology
4.0 Introduction 63-64 4.1 The Relevance of Nietzsche’s Discourse on Man to Today’s World 64-67
4.2 Human Nature and its Relevance to Socio-Political Discourse 67-69
Chapter five: Nietzsche’s ideological orientation for Human Emancipation and Human Development
5.0 Introduction 70-71
5.1 Conclusion and Recommendation 72-75
Bibliography 76-78