THUS SPOKE ZARATHUSTRA
​Friedrich Nietzsche

"God is dead...What after all are these churches now if they are not the tombs and sepulchers of God?"  So begins Friedrich Nietzsche in his most disturbing and prophetic work--Thus Spoke Zarathustra.  What are the consequences of living in a work without any transcendent meaning, purpose, or value?  If God is dead, then where are we to find the meaning for our lives.  The answer for Nietzsche is "in ourselves."  In the recognition of our own freedom to choose the kind of lives that we would live, Nietzsche believes that certain human beings at least have the possible to become something greater than they might otherwise be.  The term Nietzsche uses to describe this new, more perfect form of human being is Übermensch (usually translated as "Superman" or "Overman."). 

As you read the selection from Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra, be sure that you are able to answer the following questions:   

1. Why does Zarathustra leave his mountain retreat after 10 years?  (P1)
2. On his way down from the mountain, Zarathustra encounters a “saint” living alone in the forest.  What does the saint represent?  What is the difference between his attitude towards mankind and that of 
   Zarathustra? (P3)
3. In sections 3-4 of the Prologue, Zarathustra begins to preach to the crowd about the Superman.  What are the characteristics of the Superman as Zarathustra describes him?  What does Zarathustra mean when he describes human beings as a “rope”? (P 3-4)
4. What is the crowd’s reaction to Zarathustra’s teachings?  What does he mean by “the last man”? How is the last man contrasted with the Superman? (P5)
5. In the story of the tightrope walker, Zarathustra rejects the idea of life after death?  How does the tightrope walker respond to the news?  How does Zarathustra attempt to comfort him? 
6. In the section on “The Three Metamorphoses,” what is represented by the camel, the lion, and the child? Why is it so important for the lion to slay the dragon? 

Looking to read something else about this topic?  Explore Alex  Romeo's argument about why YOU are Nietzsche's last man in "We are the Last Men" (Wisdom's Haven, 2013).

ZARATHUSTRA

Select one of the following question to reflect upon after having gone through all of the above steps:

1. In Thus Spoke Zaratustra, Nietzsche’s claims that human beings are a bridge between animals and the kind of higher being that is represented by the Superman.  Do you think that it really is possible for a human being like yourself to become the kind of Superman that Nietzsche describes? What would this mean for the way you would go about living your life?
2. In the Prologue of Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche proclaims that “God is dead” and rejects the idea of an afterlife?  The present life, he maintains, is all that we have…for better or for worse.  Do you find this idea comforting or disturbing?  Do you think an acceptance of this idea would lead to nihilism (a belief in nothing, a total rejection of the idea that life has meaning or purpose) and despair, or would it, as Nietzsche suggests, lead to true human liberation?  
3. Read the online selection, "We Are the Last Men."  What do you make of the author's cynical ideas about human nature?  Do you agree with his position or not?

---

©  Stephan T. Mayo, 2013.  All of the content on this webpage is copyright.  The materials on this webpage may not be modified, posted or transmitted without the prior consent of the author.  Permission is granted to print out copies for educational purposes and for personal use only. No permission is granted for commercial use.