The New Man is a

utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book '' Utopia'', describing a fictional island soc ...

n concept that involves the creation of a new ideal human being or

citizen Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...

replacing un-ideal human beings or citizens. The meaning of a New Man has widely varied and various alternatives have been suggested by a variety of religions and political ideologies.

Philosophical and religious versions

Baháʼí New Race of Men

Baháʼí literature Baháʼí literature covers a variety of topics and forms, including scripture and inspiration, interpretation, history and biography, introduction and study materials, and apologia. Sometimes considerable overlap between these forms can be ob ...

states that training children in the world-embracing teachings of Bahá’u’lláh will cause a "truly new race of men" to emerge (“khalq-i-jadíd”, also translated as a “new creation” by Shoghi Effendi or as "spiritual rebirth"). The Bab in a letter, after expounding the purpose of his message, declares triumphantly “Wherefore are all part of a New Creation (khalq-i-jadíd) for We, we indeed originated that ewcreation…We did indeed initiate a new, eschatological creation.” Abdu'l Baha describes how "after the coming of the spiritual springtime, all phenomena become imbued with the life of a new creation and are reformed in the process of a new genesis". It is prophesied that a time is approaching when a new race of men will have been raised up that is "incomparable in character", who will be tasked with "helping to rebuild the world with the aid and inspiration of the Bahá’í teachings" and who will "purge mankind" of its current "defilement" and corruption. Abdu'l Baha explains that only the only remedy to the current societal trend towards self-centered materialism is the power of a "new creation" where "the hearts and souls be revived" by "the breaths of the holy spirit". In the process of working towards the more just, unified society envisioned by Baha'u'llah, the Baha'i writings predict reactions of fear and dismay will emerge from some. Baha'u'llah emphasises the selfless, altruistic nature of this new humanity that will come into being, writing that, "To be purged from defilement is to be cleansed of that which is injurious to man and detracteth from his high station—among which is to take undue pleasure in one’s own words and deeds, however worthy they may be. True peace and tranquillity will only be realized when every soul will have become the well-wisher of all mankind." The Baháʼí writings also clarify that the initial response of fear will be short-lived, saying, "The fears and agitation which the revelation of this od’slaw provokes in men's hearts should indeed be likened to the cries of the suckling babe weaned from his mother's milk, if ye be of them that perceive. Were men to discover the motivating purpose of God's Revelation, they would assuredly cast away their fears, and, with hearts filled with gratitude, rejoice with exceeding gladness Philosopher Ian Kluge identifies what he terms, "the process of revolution and transformation from within" as only a part of a wider process of radical change initiated in this current era of history, citing this quote from the Baha'i writings: the "whole creation was revolutionized and all that are in the heavens and all that are on earth were stirred to the depths. Through that Word the realities of all created things were shaken, were divided, separated, scattered, combined and reunited, disclosing entities of a new creation..." The Baháʼí Faith also emphasises how this ideal human state is a distant goal towards which all must strive - “we can see that the process of recreating ourselves to be part of a new race of men will be an ongoing struggle for years to come”. Abdu'l Baha writes that, “We must strive unceasingly and without rest to accomplish the development of the spiritual nature in man, and endeavor with tireless energy to advance humanity toward the nobility of its true and intended station.”. He also stresses, however, that we have no claim to moral superiority over others: “Let us therefore be humble, without prejudices... Let us never say, “I am a believer but he is an infidel,” “I am near to God, whilst he is an outcast.” We can never know what will be the final judgment!”, further highlighting, "Who are we that we should judge? How shall we know who, in the sight of God, is the most upright man?" Regarding this new state in humanity's evolution, it is also stated that "souls will arise and holy beings appear" who will "labor ceaselessly", "scatter in the world, and travel throughout all regions", "raise their voices in every assembly, and adorn and revive every gathering", "speak in every tongue, and interpret every hidden meaning", "reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom, and manifest unto everyone the signs of God", "perfume and revive the souls of men", and "reinvigorate the peoples and nations of the world". Baháʼí economist, John Huddleston, in discussing the three necessary dimensions required to achieve World Peace writes that “The first dimension is the creation of a new race of men: the adoption of the highest ethical standards by every man, woman, and child on the planet”. In the Lights of Irfan annual publication, philosophy scholar Ian Kluge provides a comparative treatment of Baháʼí and Nietzschean concepts, including the Baháʼí new race of men and Nietzsche's Übermensch.

Nietzschean ''Übermensch''

Philosopher

Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philosophy. He began his ...

's concept of an '' Übermensch'' ("Overman") was that of a New Man who would be a leader by example to humanity through an existentialist will to power that was

vitalist Vitalism is a belief that starts from the premise that "living organisms are fundamentally different from non-living entities because they contain some non-physical element or are governed by different principles than are inanimate things." Wher ...

and irrationalist in nature. Nietzsche developed the concept in response to his view of the

herd mentality Herd mentality, mob mentality or pack mentality describes how people can be influenced by their peers to adopt certain behaviors on a largely emotional, rather than rational, basis. When individuals are affected by mob mentality, they may make dif ...

and inherent

nihilism Nihilism (; ) is a philosophy, or family of views within philosophy, that rejects generally accepted or fundamental aspects of human existence, such as objective truth, knowledge, morality, values, or meaning. The term was popularized by I ...

of Christianity, and the void in existential meaning that is realized with the

death of God "God is dead" (German: ; also known as the death of God) is a statement made by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche's first use of this statement is his 1882 ''The Gay Science'', where it appears three times. The phrase also ap ...

. Übermensch is the goal of humanity and the world-focused will of the Übermensch emerges as the new meaning of life on Earth, a norm-repudiating individual who overcomes himself and is the master in control of his impulses and passions.

Political versions

Liberal New Man

Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (born Thomas Pain; – In the contemporary record as noted by Conway, Paine's birth date is given as January 29, 1736–37. Common practice was to use a dash or a slash to separate the old-style year from the new-style year. In th ...

and

William Godwin William Godwin (3 March 1756 – 7 April 1836) was an English journalist, political philosophy, political philosopher and novelist. He is considered one of the first exponents of utilitarianism and the first modern proponent of anarchism. God ...

believed that the spread of

classical liberalism Classical liberalism is a political tradition and a branch of liberalism that advocates free market and laissez-faire economics; civil liberties under the rule of law with especial emphasis on individual autonomy, limited government, e ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

constituted the birth of a New Man and a new era.

Utopian socialist New Man

Utopian socialists Utopian socialism is the term often used to describe the first current of modern socialism and socialist thought as exemplified by the work of Henri de Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, Étienne Cabet, and Robert Owen. Utopian socialism is often de ...

such as

Henri de Saint-Simon Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-Simon (17 October 1760 – 19 May 1825), often referred to as Henri de Saint-Simon (), was a French political, economic and socialist theorist and businessman whose thought had a substantial influence on p ...

Charles Fourier François Marie Charles Fourier (;; 7 April 1772 – 10 October 1837) was a French philosopher, an influential early socialist thinker and one of the founders of utopian socialism. Some of Fourier's social and moral views, held to be radical ...

and

Robert Owen Robert Owen (; 14 May 1771 – 17 November 1858) was a Welsh people, Welsh textile manufacturer, philanthropist and social reformer, and a founder of utopian socialism and the cooperative movement. He strove to improve factory working conditio ...

saw a future

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the '' Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages, Gold being the first and the one during which the G ...

led by a New Man who would reconstruct society.Gregory Claeys. The Cambridge Companion to Utopian Literature. Cambridge, England, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Pp. 14.

Communist New Man

Marxism Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...

postulates the development of a New Man and New Woman in a

communist society In Marxist thought, a communist society or the communist system is the type of society and economic system postulated to emerge from technological advances in the productive forces, representing the ultimate goal of the political ideology of co ...

following the values of a non-essential nature of the state and the importance of freely associated work for the affirmation of a person's humanity. This is in contrast to an innate personality opposing view which is counter-productive to the selfless collectivism that elevates austerities and discipline to true materialism in all its pejoratives and for the adherent to the self-regulating dynamic worker. Marxism does not see the New Man/Woman as a goal or prerequisite for achieving full communism, but rather as a product of the social conditions of pure communism.

Che Guevara Ernesto Che Guevara (; 14 June 1928The date of birth recorded on /upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Ernesto_Guevara_Acta_de_Nacimiento.jpg his birth certificatewas 14 June 1928, although one tertiary source, (Julia Constenla, quoted ...

's essay "Socialism and man in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...

" and

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's '' The Soul of Man under Socialism'' are two examples of the 'new man' archetype in socialist literature.

Fascist New Man

Fascism Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and t ...

supports the creation of a New Man who is a strong-willed, dynamic archetype, a figure of

direct action Direct action originated as a political activist term for economic and political acts in which the actors use their power (e.g. economic or physical) to directly reach certain goals of interest, in contrast to those actions that appeal to oth ...

and bellicose violence. An anti-individualist, he is characterized by a sense of confidence and

masculinity Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors ...

, quiet dignity and self-worth, determination, and authoritativeness. With a detachment from romantic love, family background and schooling, his worldview is romanticized, passionate, serious and realist, preoccupied with the honoring of fallen heroes, a strong belief in personal responsibility, national rebirth and renewal. He regards himself as one component of a disciplined mass that has shorn itself of

individualism Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology and social outlook that emphasizes the intrinsic worth of the individual. Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and to value independence and self-reli ...

, party politics discrimination, and cohesive class orientation in favor of a united, para-militarist effort. One example of this was the idea of the

Political Soldier Political Soldier is a political concept associated with the Third Position. It played a leading role in Britain's National Front from the late 1970s onwards under young radicals Nick Griffin, Patrick Harrington and Derek Holland of the Official ...

, which was developed by the leaders of the Official National Front in the UK in the 1980s and became part of the ideology of the Third Position.

Transhumanist New Man

Transhumanism Transhumanism is a philosophical and intellectual movement which advocates the enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available sophisticated technologies that can greatly enhance longevity and cognition. Transhuma ...

welcomes the creation of a literal ''new man'' by enhancements through cybernetics and other "human enhancements", and look to the singularity as that point in time when the new man arrives, his birthday if you will. Scholar

Klaus Vondung Klaus Vondung (born 16 July 1941) is a German scholar on the fields of cultural and German studies. The focus of his academic work lies on the interplay of literature, politics and religion during the German Empire, Nazi Germany and beyond. Earl ...

argues that Transhumanism represents the final revolution. Others have made similar observations.Knowing New Biotechnologies: Social Aspects of Technological Convergence
p. 77-91

References

{{Conformity Bahá'í belief and doctrine Conceptions of self Religious philosophical concepts Political philosophy Political movements in Europe Utopian theory