logo

36 pages 1 hour read

The Will to Power

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1901

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Index of Terms

Decadent

Someone who suffers from life. Can also apply to groups of people and religions. For example, Christianity, for Nietzsche, is a “decadent” religion.

Dionysus

Ancient Greek god of wine, fertility, and intoxication. For Nietzsche, Dionysus is a symbol of the endless becoming of existence, and “Dionysian wisdom” is the ability to accept and affirm change and suffering.

Eternal Recurrence of the Same

“Eternal recurrence” is Nietzsche’s concept that time has no beginning and no end and that everything which has happened will happen again an infinite number of times. The ability to affirm life in the face of this idea distinguishes true higher types from all other humans.

Nihilism

The experience of finding that all the values that have previously given life meaning have been destroyed or devalued. Nietzsche believes nihilism is the state modern western culture finds itself in because of the loss of faith in Christianity.

Will to Power

The underlying force and drive behind all organic life. It is a drive not to survive but to achieve the greatest degree of power and distinctiveness by overcoming and appropriating resistance.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 36 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,800+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools