Introduction
Humans have tried to explain the nature of the world around them for centuries, but they have never reached an agreement. Some believe that their lives are predetermined, others proclaimed themselves the only masters of their decisions, and the third group prefers the combination of those factors. One of the developed points of view is that the human desire to have and exercise power is the main engine of people’s lives.
Philosophical Views of Nietzsche, Adler, and May
Despite the social and biological struggles, the fundamental desire to survive and feel safe may not be the core motivator for an individual’s actions. Nietzsche stated that “there is nothing to live that has value, except the degree of power-assuming that life itself is the will to power” (1968, p. 37). His philosophy later affected the psychological views of Adler and May, as they explained the inner motivation of people through their desire to exhibit individual power (Hartley, 1995). While arguable, their main philosophy had an extensive effect on people’s views in the twentieth century.
The Major Components and Beliefs
Nietzsche’s statements about the will to power being the central moving force behind not only human actions but also the physical forces of the Universe may seem radical. Despite the theories of divine influence or biological need to survive being widely accepted at his time, Nietzsche promoted the idea of one force affecting another force, even if the objects are not moving (Deleuze, 1985). According to his philosophy, wanting to fulfill biological desires and safety is more of a consequence. In contrast, the will to power is a necessary fundamental element that exists in all living and non-living things.
Alfred Adler, the founder of individual psychology, also accepts the will to power as the primal reason for human behavior. According to him, neurosis reflects the human desire to put an end to inner insecurity. Such wishes are caused by the will to power that directs the human brain and thoughts (Adler, 1964). The feeling of inferiority caused people to follow the will to change the situation around them.
The willpower can be both positive and negative, creating, or destructing. May talked about it in the context of the political philosophy of poststructuralist anarchism. He admits that the will to power is relative and can be seen as good or bad from a different perspective. May considers the original human essence to be positive but corrupted by power. In a specific situation, humans must resist the immediate urge of power hunger to co-exist and develop as a society (May 1994). However, as in many cases, the understanding of moral behavior criteria is individual for each person.
The Influence on the Field of Modern Psychology
Modern people are generally experiencing much stress: competition for a good job, social media, politics, economic crisis; all of that puts much pressure on an average member of society. Psychologists often focus on the most common problems because of the high demand. Modern people have issues with stress, anxiety, self-esteem, and motivation to go through challenging situations in life (Common mental health disorders, 2011). Nietzsche referred to all similar problems as to the state of being, not some sickness that needed to be treated (May 1974). This position finds its reflection in today’s psychology, as the specialists guide the clients through their problems and show how to live with constant stress and even benefit from it.
Conflict with a Christian Perspective
The philosopher uses strict, even aggressive, language in some of his works. Nietzsche’s (1968) statements about God and religious people paint the Christians as a mindless herd of delusional followers. It could be because of the translation from German, a rather harsh language for many foreigners. However, some modern philosophers find such statements offensive. For example, Nietzsche points out that Christianity originated among slaves and implies that people who are not free cannot live by the right idea. However, a Christian religion based on love is different from the lifestyle that greedy priests pushed upon their congregation (Bergmann et al., 2008). The author especially emphasizes the criticism of Christianity as a movement quoting Nietzsche’s description of it as “as a sublimation of the anger of the powerless, as the poison that destroyed ancient culture” (Bergmann et al., 2008). Despite the possibility that this description was directed at the church system more than at the followers themselves, it still sounds intolerant towards people’s choice of religion.
Conclusion
Like in many other cases, the angle of the will to power concept depends on definitions of power, will, force, and other crucial elements. Nietzsche was an innovative thinker of his time, and his idea to explain all the processes in the Universe through the will to power is worth studying. It found its reflection in May and Adler’s works, as well as in modern psychology practices. However, the accents were not the same as in the original philosophical theory.
References
Adler, A. (1964). The Individual psychology of Alfred Adler. A systematic presentation in selections from his writings. HarperPerennial.
Bergmann, P., Munz, T., Novosad, F., Patton, P., Thiele, L.P., Rorty, R., Schrift, A.D., & Sokol, J. (2008). What does Nietzsche mean to philosophers today? Eurozine. Web.
Common mental health disorders [PDF document]. (2011). Web.
Deleuze, G. (1985). Nietzsche and philosophy. (H. Tomlinson, Trans.). Columbia University Press. (Original work published 1962).
Hartley, G. D. (1995). The centrality of the concept of power in Nietzsche, Adler, and May. Individual Psychology, 51(4), 346.
May, R. (1974) Nietzsche’s contributions to psychology. A Quarterly Journal in Modern Literatures, 28(1), 58-73, Web.
May, T. (1994). The political philosophy of poststructuralist anarchism. The Pennsylvania State University Press.
Nietzsche, F. (1968). The will to power. (W. Kaufmann & R. J. Hollingdale, Trans.). Vintage. (Original work published 1885).