Stalin is presented as an Obermensch figure who steps out of history and warps reality to his will, rather than as merely a successful Soviet bureaucrat.
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Overman
In response to the student question, Jiang says Hitler became the messiah figure because the army needed someone to play the overman role for national unity and vengeance.
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Key Notes
He predicts/teases the next lecture by saying Putin is the twenty-first-century Obermensch who sees where history is going and warps reality for Russia.
The overman is defined as a person above humanity/history who ignores public opinion and imposes what is right to himself, with Napoleon as example and Hitler as later claimant.
Jiang casts Hitler as the overman figure who unites Germans into a hurricane or ocean against the world.
In response to the student question, Jiang says Hitler became the messiah figure because the army needed someone to play the overman role for national unity and vengeance.
Hitler's movement is described as a new intoxicating religion that lets followers imagine themselves as overmen sacrificing for unity of will.
Timestamped Evidence
"Good morning. So today we do Justice Stalin and I want to make you the argument that Justice Stalin is probably the greatest man..."
"are the three main reasons why I consider Stalin to be certainly the greatest man of the 20th century and quite possibly you can..."
"And this is something I will argue to you next class. So Stalin was the Ubermuntz of the 20th century. I will argue to..."
"That's why God created us, to become gods ourselves. Otherwise, this makes no sense. How do we go from desire to bodies? It only..."
"...translate it as superman, but you can also translate it as overman, okay? The person above humanity, the person above history. So the ideal,..."
"Okay, and why is this important? Because his ideas, in the context of Weimar Republic, will lead to the rise of the Nazis and..."
"protect their vital rights in the same way as the individual is forced to protect his rights. One is either the hammer or the..."
"He will unite the German people into a hurricane, into an ocean to crash itself upon the world. In the course of my life,..."
"So, when we look at Kant. So, that is Germany. Okay, any questions about what we've learned so far? Was this clear to you..."
"He was the messiah dedicated to restoring German unity, okay? And, I mean, like, this is hard to understand, but human population is very..."
"again, when you go back to the Hitler speeches, from our perspective, it's not that persuasive, okay? But when you're in a crowd of..."
"And the fact that the Germans fought so bravely and fought to the very bitter end. I mean, it just shows you the power..."
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