The philosophical treatise "So said Zarathustra" - the most famous work of Friedrich Nietzsche. The book is known for its criticism of familiar Christian morality. In his work, the author presented many theses that provoked lively discussion and fierce criticism. With some of its features, “So said Zarathustra” it resembles the Bible. This is an alloy of poetry, philosophical treatise and prose, in which there are many images, metaphors and parables.
Superman idea
Nietzsche’s book is divided into four parts, each of which the author published separately. The writer was going to take on two more volumes, but did not have time to realize his idea. Each part contains several parables. It is about them that the summary is told. “So said Zarathustra” begins with the scene of Zarathustra returning to people after years of wandering. The main character is a prophet. His fix idea is to inform people of his own revelation.
The philosophy of the prophet is the semantic core on which the book "So said Zarathustra." The idea of a superman, promoted by the protagonist, has become Nietzsche’s most popular and famous theory. The main message of the work is given already in the first scene, when Zarathustra descends from the mountains. On the way, he meets a hermit. This man admits that he loves God, and this feeling gives him the strength to live. The scene is not random. After this meeting, the prophet goes further and wonders why the hermit still does not know that God is dead. He denies many of the norms that are common to ordinary people. This idea is conveyed both by the book itself and its brief content. “So said Zarathustra” - it is also a treatise on the place of man in nature and society.
Travel to the city
The roving philosopher Zarathustra gives his first sermon in the city when he stumbles upon a crowd gathered around a rope dancer. A traveler tells people about a superman, he convinces that an ordinary person is just a link in the chain of development from a monkey to a superman. In addition, Zarathustra publicly announces that God is dead and therefore people should stop believing in unearthly hopes and become faithful to the earth.
The stranger's speech amuses the crowd. She makes fun of the philosopher and continues to watch the performance. A brief summary cannot do without mentioning this scene. “So said Zarathustra”, although it is a philosophical treatise, at the same time it has all the signs of a novel with a developing plot and fictional characters. The scene in the city ends with the tightrope walker falling to the ground and dying. The sage picks up his body and leaves the city in the company of the Snake and the Eagle.
Philosophy of Zarathustra
Zarathustra has his own "Speech Book", consisting of 22 parables. They reveal the main ideas that Friedrich Nietzsche is trying to convey to readers. Zarathustra despises priests and teaches respect for soldiers. He considers the state an “idol” and explains that only after its fall will the era of a new man come. The philosopher urges to avoid actors, buffoons and fame. He criticizes the Christian postulate that evil must be answered with good, considering such behavior a weakness.
Zarathustra tells most of his points to passers-by and random companions. So, with one young man, he shares the idea that evil takes a significant place in human nature, and only by overcoming it can he become a superman. Of all the theses of the prophet, one stands out especially. It is based on the faith, which tells the book "So said Zarathustra." The analysis shows that the most important part of the philosopher’s mythology is his prophecy about the coming of Great Noon. This event anticipates the transition of a person to a new stage of his development. When Great Noon arrives, people will celebrate the sunset of their former half-existence.
Quotes
In the second part of the book, after a short life in public, Zarathustra decides to shut himself again in his cave, where he spends many more years. Returning from a long imprisonment, he again speaks to people with parables. Criticism of religion is one of the main messages of the book "So said Zarathustra." Quotes on this subject can be given in large numbers. For instance:
- "God is a thought that makes everything straight and crooked and everything that is worth spinning."
- “I call all this doctrine of a single, complete, motionless, well-fed and enduring one, evil and hostile to man!”
- “If there were gods, how could I resist not to be a god!” Therefore, there are no gods. ”
The philosopher makes fun of the equality of people. He believes that this concept is a fiction, invented to punish the strong and exalt the weak. Based on this, the prophet calls for abandoning compassion for the sake of creation. People should not be equal. Nietzsche repeats this idea several times in the pages of his book, “So Said Zarathustra.” The contents of the chapters show how he consistently criticizes all the foundations and orders that are familiar to society.
Taunts of Wisdom and Culture
Through the lips of Zarathustra, Nietzsche says that all the so-called sages only serve the uneducated people and their superstitions, while interfering with the truth. Its real carriers do not live in cities among the crowd, but in distant deserts, away from human fuss. Part of the truth is that all life in one way or another seeks power. It is because of this pattern that the weak must obey the strong. Zarathustra considers the will to power to be a much more important human quality than the will to live.
Criticism of culture is another characteristic feature of the book "So said Zarathustra." The reviews of contemporaries show how disgusted they were with Nietzsche, who considered most of human heritage to be only the result of worshiping an illusory fictional reality. For example, Zarathustra openly laughs at poets, whom he calls too feminine and superficial.
Spirit of Gravity
In the third part of the philosophical novel, Zarathustra has new parables and images. He tells his few listeners about the Spirit of Gravity - a creature resembling either a dwarf or a mole trying to make the sage lame. This demon tried to drag Zarathustra to the bottom, into an abyss full of doubts. And only at the cost of great efforts the main character managed to escape.
He explains to the public that the Spirit of Gravity is given to every person from birth. Periodically, he recalls himself in the form of the words "evil" and "good." Zarathustra denies these concepts. He believes that no good or evil exists. There are only the natural desires of each person, which should not be hidden under any circumstances.
Attitude towards fate and vice
The book “So said Zarathustra, ” the meaning of which is interpreted differently by philosophers and other researchers, offers the reader a new look at seemingly familiar things. For example, the protagonist refuses to talk about a universal path - a universal way of salvation and a right life, which is discussed in all popular religious teachings. On the contrary, Zarathustra believes that each person has his own way, and everyone should form his own attitude to morality in his own way.
The prophet explains any fate with just a combination of coincidences. He praises such traits as lust for power, voluptuousness and selfishness, considering them to be just healthy natural passions inherent in a strong soul in an exalted body. Predicting the next era of superhumans, Zarathustra hopes that all these character traits will be inherent in a new type of person.
Perfect person
According to the ideas of Zarathustra, in order to become strong, it is enough to learn to be free from any external circumstances. Truly powerful people can afford to constantly rush into any accident. Strength must be manifested in everything. Men must always be ready for war, and women for the birth of children.
One of the theses of Zarathustra states that society and any social contract are unnecessary. Attempts to live together by some rules only prevent the strong from triumphing over the weak.
