Cyril Nadar - Week #10 - Nietzsche Spoke of This
Over the last couple of weeks, a penguin has taken its place at the pinnacle of my TikTok algorithm. A video captured by Werner Herzog shows a lone “deranged” penguin defying the monotonous path of its waddle to venture into the unknown mountains, heading towards certain death. One question lingers in the mind of Herzog: “But why.”
This unnamed penguin is the purest representation of Nietzsche’s philosophy of “Will to Power,” which describes the urge to grow and overcome rather than simply survive. It is the desire to manifest one's will upon the world, even at the cost of itself. The penguin’s decision to forsake its waddle and millions of years of evolutionary instinct embodies this idea.
Nietzsche’s most famous concept, the Übermensch (Overman), is also embodied by this penguin. The Übermensch is an idealized human who overcomes nihilism and traditional morality originally seen in Christianity around the 1800s. Nietzsche's concept of “Transvaluation of Values” can also be applied to the decisions made by the penguin. Normally, running away from the colony would be considered as foolish or “deranged,” however, in this case, the values are "transvaluated" to now being replaced with the idea of self-command and the “triumph of will.”
The penguin has motivated an “entire generation,” and it is quite simple to see why. The penguin is the symbol of defying the “monotonous path” that we take and the expectations that are placed upon us – our grades, social life, and careers. Sadly, the penguin was found dead; however, its choice of freedom over the soporific colony will forever be immortalized in its resplendent dreams.
Hello Cyril, as someone who is currently going down a philosophical rabbit hole myself I found your blog incredibly profound. I found your blog to be realistic yet unrealistic, a sort of paradox if you will. I'd like to relate your metaphor with the lonesome penguin to today's entrepreneurs. Like you mentioned towards the end of your blog, the penguin was found dead, this is the very sole reason the concept of growing, which may potentially be away from the accepted norms of society, is considered a risk. There is a reason why many people, and statistically, many of us will take this pre-trodden path. It's safe, actually its the pinnacle of safety, I for one get nervous just entertaining the possibility that I might choose another field then the one I've set my mind on for years. Hence the concept of the entrepreneur. They, very much like the penguin deviate from the standard concept of society, and if they fail, like the penguin will meet an icy and bitter fate. I enjoyed reading your take on philosophy and I do hope I get to see more. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Cyril! I have recently been getting more into philosophy as a subject and absolutely loved reading your blog! Nietzsche’s concept of will to power is something that I think can be applied to many parts of society today. Many of us are expected to pursue careers that will guarantee a steady source of income (doctors, engineers, lawyers, etc.), and virtually any other occupation is considered to be too risky. While I can see the logic behind this belief, as income is an important consideration given the very unstable state of today’s economy, I also believe that this mindset is exactly what discourages self-expression and uniqueness in society. It’s also quite interesting to me that much like the penguin you describe, these unconventional choices are usually dismissed as foolish or irresponsible, right up until the people making them turn out to be successful. I also loved how you used the penguin’s waddle as a metaphor for the “monotonous path” that we are expected to follow. Like you mention, we are in a way expected to go through the motions of getting good grades, getting admission into a prestigious university, and then pursue a fulfilling and high-paying career, among other things.
ReplyDeleteThe penguin also made me think of people like Galileo and Mendel, as well as artists like Vincent van Gogh, who all challenged conventional norms in their fields and weren’t recognized during their lifetimes, only posthumously. Like the penguin, their choices tended to be misunderstood, but we now celebrate their innovative ideas. Thank you for your insightful blog!
The concept of destroying oneself while chasing after something greater has always been a timeless myth it seems, with the story of Icarus, Vincent “tortured soul” Van Gogh, and yes, also this penguin. Time and time again, humans show this manic, self-destructive need to strive for something regardless of how futile it is, but can any other animal really experience this same drive? I’m no zoologist, but prescribing this sort of determination to a penguin seems a little silly.
ReplyDeleteBut that doesn't matter, really (I am in no way critiquing your choice of topic), because it makes for a better story. Would it have made an even better story if the penguin was never found? Probably, but the penguin’s death lends itself to the realism of it. Even though it died in the end, all the penguins would eventually anyway; this penguin, though, was able to advance in a new direction, looking up at the stone goliaths in the distance.
I can see how you connect this to Nietzsche's philosophies. Before doing some outside research in order to better understand your blog, I used to think of Nietzsche as the nihilist and Camus as the adsurdist/existentialist (as I have actually read a few of Camus’s books, as opposed to Nietzsche’s), but I now know Nietzsche was a harsh critic of nihilism and not a supporter.
Also, the photo you chose really caught my eye; it has aspects of the Romanticist art movement (maybe my head is just full of Art History because I have a test in that class soon), specifically “Monk by the Sea” by Friedrich. Good job on your blog!