Insofar as human excellence is the psychological foundation for successfully navigating the activities of human existence, it is also a state of contentment. Human excellences are the characteristics that set an individual apart from the rest and make them the greatest of their kind. Philosophers of all time have spent considerable time debating what it means to excel. According to Nietzsche, the highest kind of human excellence is the ability to be oneself and to make one’s own choices, as well as being self-content. On the other hand, Plato believes that the soul must be detached from the body in order to acquire wisdom and excel.
Nietzsche’s “overman” serves as an introduction to his thoughts on one of the most prominent philosophical discussions: the ideal human life (Gay Science, 275). According to Nietzsche, an authentic person is a fulfilled person. Therefore, one who does not just agree with the conventional wisdom of their society, nation, or faith, or, as Nietzsche puts it, one who does not “go with the herd” (Thus Spoke Zarathustra, 135). In fact, the infamous “God is dead” proclamation agitates toward dropping long-held convictions and shifting toward an authentic way of thinking (Gay Science, 181). Nietzsche was particularly critical of faith-based worldviews since they were not committed to any version of “truth.” One of Nietzsche’s major criticisms of Christianity was that it fostered compliance rather than inquiry. The self-determining individual envisioned by Nietzsche is one who is unencumbered by the opinions of others and who acts of their own volition. He will occasionally be an outspoken critic of authority figures and established norms. “To lure many away from the herd, for that I have come,” Nietzsche asserts that the point of his teachings is to encourage authenticity as a virtue (Thus Spoke Zarathustra, 135).
Nietzsche also stresses the importance of being content with oneself and the ethics of developing one’s own unique sense of identity. People of the “first rank” are said to “shape and interpret their environment as free nature: wild, arbitrary, fantastic, disorderly, and surprising,” according to him (Gay Science, 233). Happiness can be achieved through the cultivation of optimistic perspectives on one’s physical surroundings. Excellence, according to Nietzsche, requires that one “attain satisfaction with himself” (Gay Science, 233). Feeling complete on the inside requires one to devote themself to something, whether it is “this or that poetry and art” (Gay Science, 233). Nietzsche classifies people who are not at peace with themselves into these categories: vindictive, discontented, and pessimistic (Gay Science, 233). These passages are an excellent illustration of how closely he ties discipline and flair to authority, while laxity in either is equated with weakness. Such power of self-control and self-contentment is inevitably the prerequisite of human excellence.
The notion of the immortality of the soul is crucial to Platonism and is essential for assessing human excellence. Any such ideology must have some form of soul-based individuality as a premise. Additionally, the Phaedo teaches that people can enhance their everyday lives by gaining a clearer glimpse of the Forms. Since this perspective is at its pinnacle when the soul is detached from the body, doing so as often as possible can improve one’s quality of life. In this view, the physical form is a barrier to learning. The dialogue makes it clear: “Does the soul grasp the truth? For whenever it attempts to examine anything with the body, it is clearly deceived by it” (Phaedo, 56). According to Plato, disembodied thought will “lead us to a better knowledge of what we are investigating” (Phaedo, 56). Thus, as per Plato, a person of excellence is not only individuated in terms of their physical attributes but rather in terms of their cognitive, moral, and historical peculiarities.
References
Nietzsche, F., & Kaufmann, W. (1978). Thus spoke Zarathustra: A book for none and all (Later Printing Used). Penguin Books.
Nietzsche, F., & Kaufmann, W. (2010). The gay science: With a prelude in rhymes and an appendix of songs (1st ed.). Vintage.
Plato, Cooper, J. M., & Hutchinson, D. S. (1997). Plato: Complete works. Hackett Publishing Co.