Thus Spoke Zarathustra · Chapter
The Bestowing Virtue explained
Zarathustra takes leave of his disciples at a crossroads, presenting them with a staff adorned with a serpent and sun.
What happens
Zarathustra takes leave of his disciples at a crossroads, presenting them with a staff adorned with a serpent and sun. He extols the 'bestowing virtue' as the highest virtue, contrasting it with selfishness born of sickness and degeneration. He urges his disciples to remain true to the earth, to become creators and fighters who revalue all values, and to prepare for the Superman. Finally, he commands them to leave him, to find themselves, and to deny him so that he may return to them at the great noontide.
Themes in this chapter
The Übermensch and Self-Overcoming
Zarathustra calls for the creation of the Superman, urging his disciples to overcome themselves and become creators of new values.
Death of God and Revaluation of Values
Zarathustra declares 'Dead are all the Gods' and commands a revaluation of all values, with the Superman as the new goal.
The Body and the Earth
Zarathustra insists on remaining true to the earth and the body, rejecting otherworldly virtue and grounding meaning in earthly life.
Characters to notice
- Zarathustra
Speaks to his disciples at a crossroads, teaching about the bestowing virtue and urging them to remain true to the earth.
- The Superman
Referenced as the goal of mankind, to be desired after the death of all gods.
- The Higher Men
Implied as the disciples who are called to become creators and fighters, and to eventually form a chosen people from which the Superman arises.
Key passages
“Uncommon is the highest virtue, and unprofiting, beaming is it, and soft of lustre: a bestowing virtue is the highest virtue.”
The rarest and most selfless virtue, which gives freely without seeking gain, is the greatest virtue.
Zarathustra defines the bestowing virtue as the highest, contrasting it with selfishness.
“Remain true to the earth, my brethren, with the power of your virtue!”
Stay grounded in the physical world and let your virtue serve earthly life, not escape to otherworldly ideals.
Zarathustra commands his disciples to avoid transcendent virtue and instead devote themselves to the earth.
“Dead are all the Gods: now do we desire the Superman to live.”
Since all gods are dead, our new aspiration should be the emergence of the Superman.
Zarathustra proclaims the death of God and sets the Superman as the new goal for humanity.