Philosophical Thought
eISSN : 0000-0000
10.5
citescore
CiteScore measures the average citations received per peer-reviewed document published in this title. CiteScore values are based on citation counts in a range of four years (e.g. 2018-2021) to peer-reviewed documents (articles, reviews, conference papers, data papers and book chapters) published in the same four calendar years, divided by the number of these documents in these same four years
10.5
impact factor
CiteScore measures the average citations received per peer-reviewed document published in this title. CiteScore values are based on citation counts in a range of four years (e.g. 2018-2021) to peer-reviewed documents (articles, reviews, conference papers, data papers and book chapters) published in the same four calendar years, divided by the number of these documents in these same four years (e.g. 2018 – 21).
10.5
pubmed
CiteScore measures the average citations received per peer-reviewed document published in this title. CiteScore values are based on citation counts in a range of four years (e.g. 2018-2021) to peer-reviewed documents (articles, reviews, conference papers, data papers and book chapters) published in the same four calendar years, divided by the number of these documents in these same four years (e.g. 2018 – 21).
10.5
Embase
Biosis Preview
Volume 5, Issue 4 (2025)
Geo Res 2025, 5(4): 449-462 |
Back to browse issues page
History
Received: 2025/05/26 | Accepted: 2025/07/13 | Published: 2025/10/11
Received: 2025/05/26 | Accepted: 2025/07/13 | Published: 2025/10/11
How to cite this article
Aghagoli F, Fazeli S. The Relationship between Moral Overridingness and Ethical Egoism in Nietzsche’s Moral Philosophy. Geo Res 2025; 5 (4) :449-462
URL: http://jpt.modares.ac.ir/article-6-81506-en.html
URL: http://jpt.modares.ac.ir/article-6-81506-en.html
1- Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, University of Qom, Qom, Iran
| Abstract (HTML) (1456 Views)
Full-Text: (23 Views)
Introduction
In modern philosophy, the terms egoism and moral overridingness have become basic yet apparently contrasting notions. These ideas are directly connected with human motives, moral norms, and personal decision-making processes in social interactions, considerably influencing ethical thought.
The concept of egoism can be traced back to ancient philosophy, where Socrates and Plato indirectly acknowledged the influence of self-interest on human choices [Etemadi Fard & Malek Hosseini, 2015]. For Aristotle, self-love was a prerequisite for achieving eudaimonia, although a healthy self-esteem remains necessary for real happiness. In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, the concept of philia discusses the relationship between philanthropy and self-relations of individuals [Abolhasani Niarki, 2022].
The historical evolution of egoistic theory can be traced through the teachings of Aristippus and Epicurus. Epicurus believed in maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain through harmonious living, not through selfishness. In later centuries, philosophers such as Hobbes defended egoistic theory. Hobbes thought that human beings are selfish and wrote in Leviathan that all human motives ultimately derive from self-interest and security needs [Hobbes, 1994]. Ayn Rand argued that individuals should act in their own self-interest and that egoism and individualism alone can produce a morally healthy society [Rand, 1964].
By contrast, moral overridingness has been discussed at length in deontological, consequentialist, and virtue-ethical theories. In Aristotle's works, which give rise to virtue-based theories, though moral overridingness is not discussed explicitly, some analysts believe that the supremacy of moral principles over other principles is implicit [Irwin, 2003]. Kant considered moral principles universalizable in every circumstance before personal interests [Gregor, 1997]. Bentham [1781] and Mill [1863] characterized moral principles as utility functions in which ethics prevails over individual interests.
Therefore, egoism and moral overridingness would generally be considered to be opposites, but Nietzsche believes that the two can be reconciled; as he shows in his aesthetics of lyric poetry, apparent oppositions do not have to be real ones and can be combined or reformulated. [Mahboobi Arani, 2019].
The concept of Egoism and its relationship to the will to power in Nietzsche's philosophy
Contemporary philosophy defines three main types of egoism: ethical, rational, and psychological. Ethical egoism holds that individuals should further their own interests, in both weak and strong forms [LaFollette, 2013]. Rational egoism asserts that rational behavior maximizes individual interests. Psychological egoism believes that all human behavior really serves to advance personal interests [Shaver, 2002].
The challenge to unyielding egoistic accounts emerged with a series of philosophical issues. Schopenhauer founded ethics on compassion, viewing such emotions as human innate characteristics [Cartwright, 2008]. Paul Rée challenged Schopenhauer's metaphysical explanation of sympathetic behaviors as evolutionary adaptations serving beneficial functions [Rée, 2003]. Nietzsche challenged the traditional good vs. evil dichotomy, attributing these concepts to emerge from the same root but differing in degrees [Nietzsche, 1995].
The will to power is a central theory in Nietzsche's work. Real power is the talents human beings might possess, and will to power is a sense of power in human beings [Nietzsche, 1968c]. Despite the extent to which Nietzsche renders selfish and unselfish behavior following Schopenhauer and Rée, his egoistic notions and will to power align with egoism. In Thus Spoke Zarathustra and Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche presents a philosophy in which people should create their own values rather than live according to mandated social moralities [Nietzsche, 1886]. This is accomplished through self-creation, self-knowledge, and affirmation of true nature [Nietzsche, 1978].
The relationship between will to power and the Übermensch in Nietzsche's philosophy
The essence of Nietzschean philosophy is the figure of Übermensch, as related to the will to power. The superior being creates new values and becomes the valuer or the authority of valuation. With the transcendence of the metaphysical and moral limitations of tradition, the Übermensch uses the will to power—not force, but energizing power, urging beings toward life, growth, and flourishing [Wicks, 2001].
Übermensch knows that traditional morality, like Christianity and Kantian ethics, disempowers mankind by valuing humility and sacrifice. They, on the other hand, create new values organically out of a desire to live in accordance with power and aliveness and impose upon the world [Lanier, 2024]. This is the peak of absolutist ethics and the beginning of absolute individuality above traditional maxims. The will to power is a process and an instrument of personal growth and becoming Übermensch [Leiter, 2004].
This thing, having come into being through self-conscious and creative means, no longer has a place to exist based on established principles imposed from without. The Übermensch follows the will to power, which Nietzsche believes must be the principle by which values and principles are ranked [Guay, 2002]. They succeed in the predominance of this will's guidance, propagating values in a meaningless world and existing apart from dominant moral notions [Westacott, 2019]. Nietzsche's Übermensch, unfettered by imposed moral values, creates their own values by the will to power and gives new meaning to life, thus proving to be a more effective and innovative human being than others [Reginster, 2006].
The concept of moral overridingness and its relation to the Übermensch within Nietzsche's philosophy
Traditional moral overridingness, which demands obedience to universal standards at the expense of one's interests, undergoes a seminal transformation in Nietzsche's work. Rather than being instantiated by the ascendancy of abstract moral norms, moral overridingness is instantiated by the ascendancy of individual will and power-generation over other energies. The moral overridingness generated by the Übermensch derives from creativity, the will to power, and a sheer understanding of capabilities and aspirations.
This is an essential redefinition of traditional moral overridingness, which previously served as static maxims uniformly dictating human behavior. Moral maxims in Nietzsche's thought are not static or rigid but are founded on the human ability to confront life's challenges. This moral relativism neither leads to anarchic disorder but rather to the flowering of talents and the realization of humankind's best potential [Samuel, 2013].
Nietzsche resists codified principles calling for strict obedience, believing that no principle is of absolute value in and of itself. Rather, all things' value should be determined based on how well they serve to construct the will to power. This will, directed toward complete human potential and imbued with creativity, is free from traditional moral constraint and depends solely on sheer will that has constructed its own values and priorities [Foot, 1999].
Relationship of Egoism and moral overridingness in Nietzsche's philosophy
In Nietzsche's philosophical framework, moral overridingness and ethical egoism exist together within an overall framework of freedom from moral-social norms and individual freedom. Egoism provides individuals with comprehensive self-knowledge, awareness of inner potential, and involvement in conscious processes, without predetermined limitations, as in morality, thereby generating new values and restructuring ethics.
This approach positions egoism as a liberating agency from strict moral-social limitations, culminating in self-awareness that contradicts prevailing conventional values and has a major role in achieving the will to power. Such a will for complete human potential and creativity is exempt from conventional moral binds and is based on sheer individual will, constructing values.
It is from the will to power that the Übermensch emerges, and their moral values become overriding and pervasive. The Übermensch inherits the will to power, essentially bringing it to perfection as they recreate values in an empty world. They are in opposition to dominant moral concepts, insisting on creating and reproducing their own values.
Conclusion
The relationship of egoism to moral overridingness is central to ethical and philosophical debate. Whereas moral overridingness typically denotes ethical standards that impose on all personal motives, egoism contradicts this, as egoistic acts are performed for the interests of the self. Although there is an implicit contradiction and complication among these topics in moral philosophy, they can be harmonized through Nietzsche's thought. In Nietzsche's school of moral philosophy, these topics not only avoid opposition but are essentially interdependent, with egoism's virtue or vice having altogether a different sense. According to Nietzsche's vision, egoism and moral override are beneficial forces that foster personal freedom and emancipation from social pressures, creating an active, creative, and dynamic ethical framework that equips modern people with the tools to make decisions and transcend.
In modern philosophy, the terms egoism and moral overridingness have become basic yet apparently contrasting notions. These ideas are directly connected with human motives, moral norms, and personal decision-making processes in social interactions, considerably influencing ethical thought.
The concept of egoism can be traced back to ancient philosophy, where Socrates and Plato indirectly acknowledged the influence of self-interest on human choices [Etemadi Fard & Malek Hosseini, 2015]. For Aristotle, self-love was a prerequisite for achieving eudaimonia, although a healthy self-esteem remains necessary for real happiness. In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, the concept of philia discusses the relationship between philanthropy and self-relations of individuals [Abolhasani Niarki, 2022].
The historical evolution of egoistic theory can be traced through the teachings of Aristippus and Epicurus. Epicurus believed in maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain through harmonious living, not through selfishness. In later centuries, philosophers such as Hobbes defended egoistic theory. Hobbes thought that human beings are selfish and wrote in Leviathan that all human motives ultimately derive from self-interest and security needs [Hobbes, 1994]. Ayn Rand argued that individuals should act in their own self-interest and that egoism and individualism alone can produce a morally healthy society [Rand, 1964].
By contrast, moral overridingness has been discussed at length in deontological, consequentialist, and virtue-ethical theories. In Aristotle's works, which give rise to virtue-based theories, though moral overridingness is not discussed explicitly, some analysts believe that the supremacy of moral principles over other principles is implicit [Irwin, 2003]. Kant considered moral principles universalizable in every circumstance before personal interests [Gregor, 1997]. Bentham [1781] and Mill [1863] characterized moral principles as utility functions in which ethics prevails over individual interests.
Therefore, egoism and moral overridingness would generally be considered to be opposites, but Nietzsche believes that the two can be reconciled; as he shows in his aesthetics of lyric poetry, apparent oppositions do not have to be real ones and can be combined or reformulated. [Mahboobi Arani, 2019].
The concept of Egoism and its relationship to the will to power in Nietzsche's philosophy
Contemporary philosophy defines three main types of egoism: ethical, rational, and psychological. Ethical egoism holds that individuals should further their own interests, in both weak and strong forms [LaFollette, 2013]. Rational egoism asserts that rational behavior maximizes individual interests. Psychological egoism believes that all human behavior really serves to advance personal interests [Shaver, 2002].
The challenge to unyielding egoistic accounts emerged with a series of philosophical issues. Schopenhauer founded ethics on compassion, viewing such emotions as human innate characteristics [Cartwright, 2008]. Paul Rée challenged Schopenhauer's metaphysical explanation of sympathetic behaviors as evolutionary adaptations serving beneficial functions [Rée, 2003]. Nietzsche challenged the traditional good vs. evil dichotomy, attributing these concepts to emerge from the same root but differing in degrees [Nietzsche, 1995].
The will to power is a central theory in Nietzsche's work. Real power is the talents human beings might possess, and will to power is a sense of power in human beings [Nietzsche, 1968c]. Despite the extent to which Nietzsche renders selfish and unselfish behavior following Schopenhauer and Rée, his egoistic notions and will to power align with egoism. In Thus Spoke Zarathustra and Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche presents a philosophy in which people should create their own values rather than live according to mandated social moralities [Nietzsche, 1886]. This is accomplished through self-creation, self-knowledge, and affirmation of true nature [Nietzsche, 1978].
The relationship between will to power and the Übermensch in Nietzsche's philosophy
The essence of Nietzschean philosophy is the figure of Übermensch, as related to the will to power. The superior being creates new values and becomes the valuer or the authority of valuation. With the transcendence of the metaphysical and moral limitations of tradition, the Übermensch uses the will to power—not force, but energizing power, urging beings toward life, growth, and flourishing [Wicks, 2001].
Übermensch knows that traditional morality, like Christianity and Kantian ethics, disempowers mankind by valuing humility and sacrifice. They, on the other hand, create new values organically out of a desire to live in accordance with power and aliveness and impose upon the world [Lanier, 2024]. This is the peak of absolutist ethics and the beginning of absolute individuality above traditional maxims. The will to power is a process and an instrument of personal growth and becoming Übermensch [Leiter, 2004].
This thing, having come into being through self-conscious and creative means, no longer has a place to exist based on established principles imposed from without. The Übermensch follows the will to power, which Nietzsche believes must be the principle by which values and principles are ranked [Guay, 2002]. They succeed in the predominance of this will's guidance, propagating values in a meaningless world and existing apart from dominant moral notions [Westacott, 2019]. Nietzsche's Übermensch, unfettered by imposed moral values, creates their own values by the will to power and gives new meaning to life, thus proving to be a more effective and innovative human being than others [Reginster, 2006].
The concept of moral overridingness and its relation to the Übermensch within Nietzsche's philosophy
Traditional moral overridingness, which demands obedience to universal standards at the expense of one's interests, undergoes a seminal transformation in Nietzsche's work. Rather than being instantiated by the ascendancy of abstract moral norms, moral overridingness is instantiated by the ascendancy of individual will and power-generation over other energies. The moral overridingness generated by the Übermensch derives from creativity, the will to power, and a sheer understanding of capabilities and aspirations.
This is an essential redefinition of traditional moral overridingness, which previously served as static maxims uniformly dictating human behavior. Moral maxims in Nietzsche's thought are not static or rigid but are founded on the human ability to confront life's challenges. This moral relativism neither leads to anarchic disorder but rather to the flowering of talents and the realization of humankind's best potential [Samuel, 2013].
Nietzsche resists codified principles calling for strict obedience, believing that no principle is of absolute value in and of itself. Rather, all things' value should be determined based on how well they serve to construct the will to power. This will, directed toward complete human potential and imbued with creativity, is free from traditional moral constraint and depends solely on sheer will that has constructed its own values and priorities [Foot, 1999].
Relationship of Egoism and moral overridingness in Nietzsche's philosophy
In Nietzsche's philosophical framework, moral overridingness and ethical egoism exist together within an overall framework of freedom from moral-social norms and individual freedom. Egoism provides individuals with comprehensive self-knowledge, awareness of inner potential, and involvement in conscious processes, without predetermined limitations, as in morality, thereby generating new values and restructuring ethics.
This approach positions egoism as a liberating agency from strict moral-social limitations, culminating in self-awareness that contradicts prevailing conventional values and has a major role in achieving the will to power. Such a will for complete human potential and creativity is exempt from conventional moral binds and is based on sheer individual will, constructing values.
It is from the will to power that the Übermensch emerges, and their moral values become overriding and pervasive. The Übermensch inherits the will to power, essentially bringing it to perfection as they recreate values in an empty world. They are in opposition to dominant moral concepts, insisting on creating and reproducing their own values.
Conclusion
The relationship of egoism to moral overridingness is central to ethical and philosophical debate. Whereas moral overridingness typically denotes ethical standards that impose on all personal motives, egoism contradicts this, as egoistic acts are performed for the interests of the self. Although there is an implicit contradiction and complication among these topics in moral philosophy, they can be harmonized through Nietzsche's thought. In Nietzsche's school of moral philosophy, these topics not only avoid opposition but are essentially interdependent, with egoism's virtue or vice having altogether a different sense. According to Nietzsche's vision, egoism and moral override are beneficial forces that foster personal freedom and emancipation from social pressures, creating an active, creative, and dynamic ethical framework that equips modern people with the tools to make decisions and transcend.