Nietzsche: “Man Is Something That Shall Be Overcome”

Source and attribution

The archive attributes this English wording to Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Prologue and files it under Philosophy of Will. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.

About Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) was a German classical philologist who became a radical critic of morality, metaphysics, and modern culture. Appointed professor at Basel at twenty-four, he resigned from ill health and wrote in solitude across Switzerland, Italy, and Germany.

Interpretation

Zarathustra's declaration is about the human as a thing to be surpassed, not improved. The German verb implies going over and beyond, so the claim is that the human condition is a condition to be left behind. What follows in the book is the figure of the overman as whatever comes after, defined by self-creation rather than by any fixed nature. The sentence is provocative because it refuses to treat human nature as a standard.

Why it matters

It raises a question worth asking without the mythology: are you trying to become a better instance of what you already are, or something you cannot yet describe? The two produce very different plans.

Concepts in this quote

Self: Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.

How to cite this quotation

APA: Friedrich Nietzsche. (n.d.). Man is something that shall be overcome. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0073

MLA: Friedrich Nietzsche. “Man is something that shall be overcome..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0073.

Chicago: Friedrich Nietzsche. “Man is something that shall be overcome..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0073.

Frequently asked questions

What is the source of the quotation “Man is something that shall be overcome.”?

The passage is attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Prologue. The archive attributes this English wording to Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Prologue and files it under Philosophy of Will. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.

What does Friedrich Nietzsche mean by self?

To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self.