Nihilism and transvaluation

Abstract

The object of this paper is to present one of the key concepts of Nietzsche's philosophy: Nihilism. It intends to demonstrate that Nietzsche conceived nihilism as the history and as the logic of the western philosofy in its totality, understood the latter as "platonism". The history mentioned starts from the instauration of the supreme values, going through the process of devaluation of these values and as a pathway towards the transvaluation of these. The latter makes it possible to overcome nihilism by discovering a new principle of valuation: willpower. Man, that assumes and accepts the new principle is the "Übermensch", who consciusly erects himself as the center and measure of all reality.