Friedrich Nietzsche is certainly a fascinating character to study particularly his concept of Ubermensch, an "overman" or perfect human race: almost the next stage of evolution for humanity.
The "Great Man of History" is a concept very much in the bowels of Nietzsche's thinking and can apply to almost every dictator, king or leader throughout history. In fact, it was Thomas Carlyle, the 19th Century commentator and historian who said that history is merely the biography of great men.
The Ubermensch strike me as having very similar traits to those who belonged to the Spartan society of Ancient Greece. Women were only alive to give birth to these overmen and would be judged in a relationship by their ability to create Ubermensch much like Spartan women.
Although quoting the film 300 may not be ideal seeing as the diaglogue is fictional, a quote from Leonidis' wife struck me when thinking of the Ubermensch women when she declares that Spartan women are strong because they give birth to Spartan men. Although largely liked by feminists because of his "be who you can be" thinking, it's easy to see why the man is also criticised for his mysogenistic ideology.
I came across this forum where the modern implications of Nietzsche's Ubermensch are being debated http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=96828
One of the issues raised was one that may or may not have tickled Nietzsche's fancy. The issue of genetic modification has always been a prickly subject not least because of the risk involved but also due to religious beliefs providing a barrier to further research.
Given the opportunity to ask the man himself just one question on modern society it would be this one. Is genetic modification the way forward in order to achieve Nietzsche's goal of an Ubermensch 'utopia' or should the process be a natural one?
