The human essence between idealism and nature

Millions of essays and books have been written about the essence of true human nature, but we are probably so complex and mysterious that there is still no glimpse of an exhaustive and definitive synthesis.

On one side, there is the Enlightenment, which believes that our animal instincts can be bent, without real repercussions, by reason and thus transform us into egalitarian beings. Slightly different, albeit always on the Enlightenment side , there's Rousseau's idea that we would be naturally good, peaceful and egalitarian and it is society that corrupts us.

On the other side are the conservatives who say we share our nature with that of other animals who all have a deep sense of hierarchy and are competitive, aggressive and territorial.

The only great philosopher in history who understood that perhaps our personal mission cannot be societal, was Friedrich Nietzsche with the myth of the superman. That is, a being who manages to rise beyond the unnatural ideals of the Enlightenment without accepting and flattening himself on conservative ones.

What could be the goal of Nietzsche's beyond man is still a little explored frontier, but those who still hold the living flame of humanity, nourish the fascination of discovery within themselves, the beauty of the unknown, the drive to exploration and the excitement of participating in a mission without hope of success.

m.m.