The Configuration of the Ideal Man: Nietzsche and Motahhari

In the present article Nietzsche’s concept of “superman” and Motahhri’s concept of “perfect man” are analyzed and compared in order to reveal their similarities and differences. Both philosophers adopt a novel approach to the ideal man. The concept of superman, in the sense developed by Nietzsche, was unprecedented in the history of philosophy before Nietzsche. The perfect man is a concept which was first introduced into Islamic thought by Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-‘Arabi. Morteza Motahhari explored and developed this concept and offered a more complete commentary on it than the one developed by the school of mysticism.