What is Nietzsche’s “Will to Power?”
What is Nietzsche’s “Will to Power?”
[Anything which is living] will endeavour to grow, to gain ground, attract to itself and acquire ascendancy—not owing to any morality or immorality, but because it LIVES, and because life IS precisely Will to Power. … “Exploitation” does not belong to a depraved, or imperfect and primitive society it belongs to the nature of the living being as a primary organic function, it is a consequence of the intrinsic Will to Power, which is precisely the Will to Life.
Beyond Good and Evil, pt. 9, sect. 259
Notably, Will To Power above is not a formal work produced by Nietzsche. Instead, it was a collection of his writings on the subject published posthumously by his sister. Nietzsche himself never fully formalized the concept. I believe you would not be asking this question if he had. However, he tried.
Therefore, I will use my own words. Others have taken similar liberties.
I believe Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None, where the Will To Power is abstractly represented, is excellent. I use that as the source of my understanding of Nietzsche’s thinking.
In short, I believe the Will To Power is the power to overcome one’s SELF. And specifically, it is NOT the power over, or to control, others.
But for the two options above, what other power is there? The power to overcome God? The power to overcome nature? I don’t think so. God and nature, or absolute truth, are in fact humanity’s source of power.
Nevertheless, what does it mean to control the SELF? I think Nietzsche lacked the vocabulary or model to represent his thoughts. This is why he did not explicitly formalize them. BUT, his gut instinct was right. Actually, it was perfect—or so I believe.
Here’s my model:
Nietzche’s will to power is, in part, curiosity. This is how understanding is built. Also, understanding is built when the self is frustrated by reality (“Out of life’s school of war—what doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.” Nietzsche).
Human understanding of reality overcomes the SELF. This library of understanding must be built by the ubermensch. Nietzsche’s superhuman. The ubermensch is a person no longer controlled or directed by the SELF. The ubermensch is controlled by the pursuit of absolute truth (remember, absolute truth is unclaimable for reason).
Nietzsche is great. NOTE, I do not think he rejects God either.
