An interpretation of Nietzsche's Uebermensch through the Dionysian/Apollonian synthesis

Abstract

Controversial, politically incorrect, and enigmatic, the Übermensch is a humanistic ideal that paves the way for the famous Doctrine of Eternal Recurrence, 'the highest formula of a Yea-saying to life that can ever be attained'. We commence this dissertation with Nietzsche's first work, The Birth of Tragedy and the Greek art deities, Apollo and Dionysus. We then see that in Thus Spoke Zarathustra the antagonism between these two gods undergoes a subtle transformation rendering them complementary elements of a human ideal. Apollo is the god of dreams, individuation, and reason. By contrast, Dionysus is the god of intoxication, instinct, and the spirit of the earth. Zarathustra represents the superior Nietzsche and he corrects the greatest mistake of all time derived from ancient Persian Zoroastrianism: the Socratic error of over-emphasising reason and positing a 'true world' beyond this one.