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RE: Nietzche on Social Justice Warriors

in #philosophy7 years ago

I came upon this post rather late, but really interesting. I'm a fan of Nietzsche and studied some of his works and it has very much helped me to channel my own thoughts and beliefs.

The way I have interpreted Nietzsche, his Ubermensch and Will to Power, is that in essence if you believe what Nietzsche believes, then you are basically the herd and not the better man. The ubermensch ideal is in essence a form of 'Being the best you that you can be' and letting nothing and nobody get in the way of that. This framework is immensely wide however. Whereas Nietzsche, from his personal beliefs, may have looked down upon certain ideas and 'the ways of men', I feel like a true Ubermensch would not at all care for what Nietzsche thinks of him or her. As such, perhaps it is up to the individual to determine and 'own' it's own will to power. Following that logic, aren't Social Justice warriors merely exerting their Will to Power? Changing narratives and worldviews, this is a rather large way of exerting Will to Power I would say. I am not so sure if every Ubermensch would be the anarchistic Conan the Barbarian that Nietzsche admires - because there are many people whose intrinsic disposition in the world is entirely different. Some people are inherently charitable, and even though Nietzsche views charity as despicable, I would argue that if one truly feels like being charitable, the best way of adhering to the ubermensch ideal would be to be charitable. Similarly, Social Justice warriors could be (personal opinion: likely not) acting out of their own true Will to Power. It's hard to tell. An Ubermensch is not morally constrained by outside morals, but this does not mean that an Ubermensch has no Will to Power to change the world. In fact, one could perhaps argue that SJW exert a great deal of Will to Power, as they are actively 'fighting' instead of pacifying.

I think Nietzsche, in the piece that you referenced, was aiming more towards the general tendency of society to soften it's members. I've felt that a lot of Nietzsche's personal opinion shines through in his texts. I also always thought that the way to Nietzsche is to not read what he writes but to try and understand what he means. He's often talking in metaphors, because the paradigm shift required for his way of thinking doesn't allow an explanation in the traditional paradigm and way of thinking.

My personal view is that a true Ubermensch can be anybody. Both Ghandi and Hitler could possibly qualify. It's impossible to tell without analyzing their deepest thoughts and motivations.

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Thanks for the great comment! I agree almost completely. The super or superior humans are the ones that aren't defined by anyone else's dogma, find their own meaning, and have the discipline and power to make it happen.

Theoretically, I guess an ubermench could have the same goals as the SJW movement and that would be the purpose of their will to power, but their goal to me seems to be imposing their ideologies upon others and forcing them to take that message as their meaning so they would be against the freedom for others they enjoyed to develop themselves. It's all very confusing and I agree you have to try to get the essence of what Nietzche is saying rather than rely on the translated words.

In this particular instance though, Nietzche says the leveler types know no solitutude and are unfree, even if possessing courage and decency, so they can't stand on their own. I think most social justice warriors also become a part of the movement so they can transfer part of their responsibility, identity, and guilt onto a group identity they perceive as benevolent, more like Hoffer's true believers than the new philosophers. So, while it's possible an ultrahuman (my favorite translation) could have those goals, the mindset seems opposed to becoming one to me. Thanks again, @pandorasbox!

I am Cornholio! You will co-operate with my bunghole!