Nietzsche warned that the society of the last man could be too barren and decadent to support the growth of healthy human life or great individuals. This decision leaves Zarathustra disheartened and disappointed. Zarathustra fails in this attempt, and instead of repelling and manipulating the populace into pursuing the goal of the Übermensch, the populace take Zarathustra literally and choose the 'disgusting' goal of becoming the last men. After having unsuccessfully attempted to get the populace to accept the Übermensch as the goal of society, Zarathustra confronts them with a goal so disgusting that he assumes that it will revolt them – a culture which seeks only passive comfort and routine, avoiding everything that could potentially bring risk, pain, or disappointment. According to Nietzsche, the last man is the goal that modern society and Western civilization have apparently set for themselves. The last man's first appearance is in 'Zarathustra's Prologue'. Therefore, The Last Man is unable to build and act upon a self-actualized ethos.Īppearance in Thus Spoke Zarathustra He is tired of life, takes no risks, and seeks only comfort and security. The last man is the archetypal passive nihilist. The last man ( German: Letzter Mensch) is a term used by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in Thus Spoke Zarathustra to describe the antithesis of his theorized superior being, the Übermensch, whose imminent appearance is heralded by Zarathustra. JSTOR ( January 2023) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. This article relies excessively on references to primary sources.

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