"God is dead" - with this dictum Nietzsche deprived modern man of the illusion that there is a higher being who brings meaning into this world.

Rather, this meaning must be created by man himself.

He has the hermit Zarathustra descend from his mountain to the people and proclaim his teachings.

But this with the clear request: do not simply believe, think for yourself, find your own way, do not follow me!

At the centre is the idea of the superman, to which everyone can orientate themselves in order to overcome averageness, false faith and cheap morality and to grow beyond themselves in order to create new values, perhaps even a new world.

The superman replaces God as the goal of human striving.