The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-07-04
PHILOSOPHY OF UPER.MAN
Fourth Lecture in c. w. D. Course
Concerning tn Basic Ideas of
German Thought
tBx Rev Gerrit snxderl


men are the worlds greatest asset and bene-
factors and that their production is the glory
osophy influenced German politics and led
to German Militarism? That IT holds 2
large place in German thought must be in
1erred from the fact that 1T is assigned
one Of the topics in the study OF Christian
World Democracy. I nOrder to get clearly
before US the subject assigned 1t Is neces-
sary first of all to trace the stream of this
philosophy to its source by giving q bio
graphical sketch of Friedrich Wilhelm Metz
sche, the creator of the super-man and his
chief advocate He was the son of Pro
testant minister His father died when the
Nietzsehe covers a period of fifty-six years.
1S44-1900- His life falls naturally into four
distinct periods as follows:
FIRST, the preparation for his life work
covering period of twenty-fOur years.
1s44-1s6s. In childhood we find him a pre-
cocious youth. with a mind -thirstiny for
knowledge, capable of grasping easily and
absorbing quickly whatsoever came to him
from teachers AID from books At the age
feSsorship of philolOgy in the iversity of
Basel, position which he held for ten yaers.
IN his career He was compelled to resign
because of eye trouble which affected his
BRAIN perhaps due to an accident he
ceived many years before. when he was in
military service riding horseback. After
his resignation from the profess orship at
Basel the pension which he received en-
abled him to travel in search of health Ten
years he spent in going from place to place,
from the lowlands to the highlands, from
somnia he travelled over the Alps, walking,
leaping, climbing, dancing, but all in vain
came on, he resorted to narcotics and in
creased its use with the more serious impair
men of his health In 1888 he wrote Il
take narcotic after narcotic to deaden my
suffering and yet 1 cannot Sleep 1t is
significant fact that during this period many
of his writings were produced one of which
his Thus spoke Zarathustra' in which
his philosophy of the super-man is especially
brought out I mention this because a mans
ION 81, L
own mental moods and environments The
fourth yeriOd in Nietzsche's career 1SSS-I9OO
is sad one During that time he de-
prived of his reason. part of the time con-
fined to a sanitarium and part of that time
cared for by a devoted sister till he died,
and who after his death published much that
he had written
II. Nietzsche's Philosophy.
The philosophy of the Super-rnan took
its rise in age and in a country wheT. and
where war and craftsmanship were the most
respected vocations- Nietzsche's had in
the spirit of Hellenism- The Gereek as you
know esteemed virtues the things which
IN q CHRISTIAN clvllzatlon ar ecOndemned
as vices He had an ambition to become 4
great hero When he discovered that there
was nothing higher for him than an ordinary
protessorship, MS unsatlsfied ambition led
to hero worship and poetic celebration o.
strong, all conquering men, In the first
part of his educational career he had
formed enthusiastic friendship with Rich
and Wagner, the musician. a friendship
which afterwards turned to bitter hostility
of pity and sympathy. In Nietysche's phiIo-
sophy, in his 'ttransuluation of values"
such religion had no place; it was the en-
bodiment OF all that was base and mis-
chieyous- When he lost faith in Wagner.
he lost faith in God He turned against
traditional morality and Chris tian ethics and
became an advocate of a nOtural morality
the beast morality He became "a philOso-
pher with a hammer" q daring free-thinker
came a wOrshiper or brute strength He
said the fittest will survive, the weak must
rr=A IL l. L
the strong may not have them to drag
along" He said, take life boldly. don't ac-
cowarcice- Approach it like laughing lion
Let instinct and not morality be your
guide mans instinct is for freedom for
possession for mastery He denounced
Wagner as "a musician of deeadent emo
tionalism-" He maintained that ''war and
courage had done more great things than
the mother of virtues. and pity the greatest
of crimes His ideal the great blond
pendent dominant Here are some OF his
sayings we must at all hazards realize the
lives for others is a weakling.' According
to Nietzsche the lordly egoist, who exploits
other men and rises on stepping stones OF
such dead is the proper human ideal. the
Super-man- The philosophy of the Super
man then is: % A philosOphyOf self-de-
or A PHILOSOPHY of seIf[devefrnment and
strength in disregard for the weak 90 A
philosophy of natural morality versus ethical
morality
III. The philosophy of the Super-man is
the antithesis to Christian philosophy.
Where one prevails the other can not pre-
vail The two are irreconcilable conflict
| One leads to autOeracy the other 10 demo-
cracy.
l. Christianity teaches that all men are
on equality before God That truth is the
basic principle of democracy. Christianity
teaches that the strong must bear the Inc
| frmities of the weak and not to pleas e
| themselves" If some are endowed by the
Creator with greater physical intellectual
| to crush the weak but to help them. Power
| is not given for sef-exaltatiOn and self
goatihc s; but for service. No gifts or
| and distribution to benefit humanity and
make the world a better and safer world.
| Shakespeare had the Christian idea when
| he wrote Heaven does with US as we with
| torches do not light them for themselves.
| For if our virtues did not go forth from US
/ is were all as If we had them not
! g Christianity concerns itself chiefly
| about the masses and does not single out Z
/ few men to put divine pedestal. When
! its founder was heralded into the world the
| angel said behold bring you good tidinCs
| of great joy which shall be unto all people
| He came not to be minis tered unto but &c
| minister and to give his life ransom for
| many. He had compassion the multi
! tude because they were sheep without
| Shepherd" As evidence that he came fron
/ God he stated that 1.-The poor had the Cos
| pei preached unto them We read also
| that 1.-The common people heard him gladly
| 1t was predicted of him HE shall judge the
poor of the people, he shall the children
/ OF the needy ana snail break IN pieces the
| oppressor."
| 8. Christianity teaches further that tru.
| greatness is reached not by self-seeking
! but by sacrifice and service The Grea-
| teacher said to his disciples 1.-The kings O
| the Gentiies have lordship over them, an,
| they that have authority over them ar
| called benefactors; but ye shall not be so
But he that is the greater among you, le
him become the younger, and he that /.
| chief he that doth serve Il am in tn
| midst of you he that serveth-'-Lukt
| p :25 R.
Christ proclaimed to the Greeks who stoo,
for culture and hero worship Except
| corn of wheat fall into the ground and di
| it abideth alone but If it die it bringetl
| forth much fruit Moses life is an exem
plification of this sacrifcial principle Ha
he considered his own pleasure and tempora
be able to refer to him only of tn
Pharaohs. 1t because ne cast his 10
with the suffering people of God that h
became the founder of a nation and tn
greatest statesman and law-giver the worl
has ever known You can see from thi
| that the teachings of Christ's religio
Numerically opposed to the philosoph
of the Super-man. The masses of humanit
are becoming embued with these teaching:
! The trend of Providence is toward Christia
democracy. Its leaven is prevailing all on
literature The popular novel of today Is nc
| that which deals with the Super-man bJ
| with the masses and the popular hero
the man OF intellect strength, possession
and position who sacrifices all for the VI
lifting of the weak, the ignorant. the poo
ing masses The world is not interested
1 ne hTf IN oTr common hr1r1aT