Overcoming nihilism: The will to power as the essence of life in Nietzsche

When nihilism is mentioned, the first name that comes to mind is Nietzsche in the history of philosophy. As Nietzsche, who also identifies himself as a nihilist, interprets each fact, condition, and event in terms of "life" and therefore takes nihilism within the context of life too. On the one hand nihilism appears as a condition in life in which there is no meaning and value, on the other hand but, it preconditions man to be "for life". Only after such a condition is experienced, the way for reevaluation of values can be made and thus new values can be put forth. What is intended in this thesis is to set out what nihilism is and to show that it can best be understood when taken together with other thoughts (life, will to power, overman) of Nietzsche. To realize this aim, in the first chapter of this thesis what is understood from nihilism in Nietzsche's thought and the kinds of nihilism noted, will be set forth and it will be attempted to demonstrate that nihilism is a way both of life and thinking. In this sense, nihilism appears not only as a condition to be lived through but also as the name of something to be overcame. In the second chapter, the question of overcoming nihilism is discussed and directly connected concepts of life, overman and will to power are analyzed. The direct relation between the concepts in question will be assessed and it will be shown that only a certain type of man, willing power in a certain way i.e. –overman- can overcome nihilism. As a result of the analysis related to what nihilism is and how it can be understood, it appears that nihilism can be seen in personal life, society or culture etc., it provides the precondition for creating new values in the positive sense, and it leads man to realize something about life and especially it can also be overcome when man finds meaning and value in life.