The song is influenced heavily by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy of the Overman/Superman (which is actually mentioned in the song "I'm not a prophet or a stone age man; Just a mortal with the potential of a Superman"), as well as philosophy and ideas emanating from Buddhism. Believe it or not, the song is actually a positive, hopeful song.
Essentially, the song is about moving one's psyche away from that of god-infused egalitarianism, Platonic idealism, asceticism, or any other-worldly idealism or even nihilism and towards that of a purposed existence based on a love of this earth, a love of the world we share, a love for each other, and a love of life at this very moment.
The song is very much about the death of the idealized view we hold of ourselves in our mind's eye and not so much about an actual physical death. The "belief in yourself" he warns against is that of idealizing yourself in an other-worldy sort of way, which is deceiving and misrepresentative of your true nature. Knowledge comes with the freeing of one's mind from the torments of idealization. Everything else will simply follow after this realization.
In the end, a human's nature is exactly what it is. It is readily apparent and does not need to be deconstructed. The non-holistic, reductionist qualities of idealistic philosophies can lead to a sickness of the mind (insanity/introversion derived from being neglectful of the whole of being).
These are some interesting tidbids from the Wikipedia article on the Overman (Ãœbermensch):
"This-worldliness
Nietzsche introduces the concept of the Ãœbermensch in contrast to the other-worldliness of Christianity: Zarathustra proclaims the Ãœbermensch to be the meaning of the earth and admonishes his audience to ignore those who promise other-worldly hopes in order to draw them away from the earth.[2][3] The turn away from the earth is prompted, he says, by a dissatisfaction with life, a dissatisfaction that causes one to create another world in which those who made one unhappy in this life are tormented. The Ãœbermensch is not driven into other worlds away from this one.
The Christian escape from this world also required the invention of an eternal soul which would be separate from the body and survive the body's death. Part of other-worldliness, then, was the denigration and mortification of the body, or asceticism. Zarathustra further links the Ãœbermensch to the body and to interpreting the soul as simply an aspect of the body.
As the drama of Thus Spoke Zarathustra progresses, the turn to metaphysics in philosophy and Platonism in general come to light as manifestations of other-worldliness, as well. Truth and nature are inventions by means of which men escape from this world. The Ãœbermensch is also free from these failings.
The death of God and the creation of new values
Zarathustra ties the Ãœbermensch to the death of God. While this God was the ultimate expression of other-worldly values and the instincts that gave birth to those values, belief in that God nevertheless did give life meaning for a time. God is dead means that the idea of God can no longer provide values. With the sole source of values no longer capable of providing those values, there is a real danger of nihilism.
Zarathustra presents the Ãœbermensch as the creator of new values. In this way, it appears as a solution to the problem of the death of God and nihilism. Because the Ãœbermensch acts to create new values within the moral vacuum of nihilism, there is nothing that this creative act would not justify. Alternatively, in the absence of this creation, there are no grounds upon which to criticize or justify any action, including the particular values created and the means by which they are promulgated.
In order to avoid a relapse into Platonic Idealism or asceticism, the creation of these new values cannot be motivated by the same instincts that gave birth to those tables of values. Instead, they must be motivated by a love of this world and of life. Whereas Nietzsche diagnosed the Christian value system as a reaction against life and hence destructive in a sense, the new values which the Ãœbermensch will be responsible for will be life-affirming and creative."
@rog27 thank you for that post. i was listening to the song. one of the first albums i bought many years ago. now i hear the words and there is this strange split between thinking the song is about believing in your personalit yet bowie was on the verge of inveinventing becoming ziggy stardust!
@rog27 thank you for that post. i was listening to the song. one of the first albums i bought many years ago. now i hear the words and there is this strange split between thinking the song is about believing in your personalit yet bowie was on the verge of inveinventing becoming ziggy stardust!
"not believing in your personality" .... and on the same album songs about dylan and warhol . Performers and true to themselves and others? Creativity in bed with the actor and the manipulator.
"not believing in your personality" .... and on the same album songs about dylan and warhol . Performers and true to themselves and others? Creativity in bed with the actor and the manipulator.
The song is influenced heavily by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy of the Overman/Superman (which is actually mentioned in the song "I'm not a prophet or a stone age man; Just a mortal with the potential of a Superman"), as well as philosophy and ideas emanating from Buddhism. Believe it or not, the song is actually a positive, hopeful song.
Essentially, the song is about moving one's psyche away from that of god-infused egalitarianism, Platonic idealism, asceticism, or any other-worldly idealism or even nihilism and towards that of a purposed existence based on a love of this earth, a love of the world we share, a love for each other, and a love of life at this very moment.
The song is very much about the death of the idealized view we hold of ourselves in our mind's eye and not so much about an actual physical death. The "belief in yourself" he warns against is that of idealizing yourself in an other-worldy sort of way, which is deceiving and misrepresentative of your true nature. Knowledge comes with the freeing of one's mind from the torments of idealization. Everything else will simply follow after this realization.
In the end, a human's nature is exactly what it is. It is readily apparent and does not need to be deconstructed. The non-holistic, reductionist qualities of idealistic philosophies can lead to a sickness of the mind (insanity/introversion derived from being neglectful of the whole of being).
These are some interesting tidbids from the Wikipedia article on the Overman (Ãœbermensch):
"This-worldliness
Nietzsche introduces the concept of the Ãœbermensch in contrast to the other-worldliness of Christianity: Zarathustra proclaims the Ãœbermensch to be the meaning of the earth and admonishes his audience to ignore those who promise other-worldly hopes in order to draw them away from the earth.[2][3] The turn away from the earth is prompted, he says, by a dissatisfaction with life, a dissatisfaction that causes one to create another world in which those who made one unhappy in this life are tormented. The Ãœbermensch is not driven into other worlds away from this one.
The Christian escape from this world also required the invention of an eternal soul which would be separate from the body and survive the body's death. Part of other-worldliness, then, was the denigration and mortification of the body, or asceticism. Zarathustra further links the Ãœbermensch to the body and to interpreting the soul as simply an aspect of the body.
As the drama of Thus Spoke Zarathustra progresses, the turn to metaphysics in philosophy and Platonism in general come to light as manifestations of other-worldliness, as well. Truth and nature are inventions by means of which men escape from this world. The Ãœbermensch is also free from these failings.
The death of God and the creation of new values
Zarathustra ties the Ãœbermensch to the death of God. While this God was the ultimate expression of other-worldly values and the instincts that gave birth to those values, belief in that God nevertheless did give life meaning for a time. God is dead means that the idea of God can no longer provide values. With the sole source of values no longer capable of providing those values, there is a real danger of nihilism.
Zarathustra presents the Ãœbermensch as the creator of new values. In this way, it appears as a solution to the problem of the death of God and nihilism. Because the Ãœbermensch acts to create new values within the moral vacuum of nihilism, there is nothing that this creative act would not justify. Alternatively, in the absence of this creation, there are no grounds upon which to criticize or justify any action, including the particular values created and the means by which they are promulgated.
In order to avoid a relapse into Platonic Idealism or asceticism, the creation of these new values cannot be motivated by the same instincts that gave birth to those tables of values. Instead, they must be motivated by a love of this world and of life. Whereas Nietzsche diagnosed the Christian value system as a reaction against life and hence destructive in a sense, the new values which the Ãœbermensch will be responsible for will be life-affirming and creative."
@rog27 thank you for that post. i was listening to the song. one of the first albums i bought many years ago. now i hear the words and there is this strange split between thinking the song is about believing in your personalit yet bowie was on the verge of inveinventing becoming ziggy stardust!
@rog27 thank you for that post. i was listening to the song. one of the first albums i bought many years ago. now i hear the words and there is this strange split between thinking the song is about believing in your personalit yet bowie was on the verge of inveinventing becoming ziggy stardust!
"not believing in your personality" .... and on the same album songs about dylan and warhol . Performers and true to themselves and others? Creativity in bed with the actor and the manipulator.
"not believing in your personality" .... and on the same album songs about dylan and warhol . Performers and true to themselves and others? Creativity in bed with the actor and the manipulator.