Nietzsche's attempt to ennoble the annihilation of the weak for the benefit of the strong explains a section of Rudolph Hoss's (the Auschwitz commandant) memoirs [I read it to refute the Holocaust denial that I was beginning to discover in conservative Christian circles]. In the memoirs, Hoss claims he suffered while overseeing the extermination of women and children. On the surface, it seemed like he was making the claim in an attempt to demonstrate to those who then held him prisoner that he wasn't a monster. Now, in light of those quotes by Nietzsche, I think Hoss had persuaded himself that he was a tragic superman, suffering by having to do the work of extermination for the betterment of his fellow supermen.
Part of Nietzsche’s philosophy which I didn’t get into for time reasons is that the Übermensch (higher person) is made so through struggle. Constant striving against the Untermenschen (lesser people) is necessary for maintain the Übermensch at peak level. So perhaps this is, disgustingly, what Hoss meant.
Nietzsche's attempt to ennoble the annihilation of the weak for the benefit of the strong explains a section of Rudolph Hoss's (the Auschwitz commandant) memoirs [I read it to refute the Holocaust denial that I was beginning to discover in conservative Christian circles]. In the memoirs, Hoss claims he suffered while overseeing the extermination of women and children. On the surface, it seemed like he was making the claim in an attempt to demonstrate to those who then held him prisoner that he wasn't a monster. Now, in light of those quotes by Nietzsche, I think Hoss had persuaded himself that he was a tragic superman, suffering by having to do the work of extermination for the betterment of his fellow supermen.
Part of Nietzsche’s philosophy which I didn’t get into for time reasons is that the Übermensch (higher person) is made so through struggle. Constant striving against the Untermenschen (lesser people) is necessary for maintain the Übermensch at peak level. So perhaps this is, disgustingly, what Hoss meant.