Friedrich Nietzsche
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
Friedrich Nietzsche was a 19th century human philosopher who, along with Søren Kierkegaard, stressed the importance of the unique and autonomous individual. One of Nietzsche's ideas was to affirm the superiority of the Übermensch (homo superior or 'super-human'). Nietzsche explains the steps through which man can become an Übermensch:
- By his will to power, manifested destructively in the rejection of, and rebellion against, old ideals and moral codes
- By his will to power, manifested creatively in overcoming nihilism and re-evaluating old ideals or creating new ones
- By a continual process of self-overcoming
In 2154, Malik likened himself, and the Augments, to Nietzsche's Übermensch. Malik quoted Nietzche, stating: "Mankind is something to be surpassed." Captain Jonathan Archer was skeptical of that analysis and asked Malik if Nietzsche would have really pictured the Augments as Übermensch. (ENT: "Borderland")
