Zarathustra and Transhumanism: Man is Something to Be Overcome

Joshua Merlo

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12775/SetF.2019.015

Abstract


In Sorgner's 2009 paper "Nietzsche, the Overhuman, and Transhumanism", he argues, contra Bostrom, that the transhumanist movement's postman is fundamentally similar to Nietzsche's overman. In this paper, Sorgner's thesis is challenged. It is argued that transhumanism, as presented both popularly and academically, is fundamentally incompatible with Nietzsche's overman, as presented in Thus Spoke Zarathustra. This argument focuses on three significant characteristics's of Zarathustra's description of the overman: the role of earthly existence, immortality, and the rejection of collective values.

Keywords


Transhumanism; Nietzsche

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References


“Nietzsche, the Overman, and Transhumanism”, Stefan Lorenz Sorgner, Journal of Evolution and Technology, Vol. 20, Iss. 1, Mar 2009, reproduced at http://jetpress.org/v20/sorgner.htm

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Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Friedrich Nietzsche, ed. George Stade, trans. Clancy Martin, (Barnes & Noble Books: New York, New York), 2005




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ISSN 2300-7648 (print)
ISSN 2353-5636 (online)

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