Last man

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Last man" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. Find sources: "Last man" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The last man (German: Letzter Mensch) is a term used by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in Thus Spoke Zarathustra to describe the antithesis of his theorized superior being, the Übermensch, whose imminent appearance is heralded by Zarathustra. The last man is the archetypal passive nihilist. He is tired of life, takes no risks, and seeks only comfort and security. Therefore, the last man is unable to build and act upon a self-actualized ethos.