Abstract:
The objective of this research is 1) to study human in Theravada Buddhist philosophy, 2) to study of human in philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche and 3) to comparative study of similarity and difference of human in Theravada Buddhist philosophy and philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. This research is used documentary process and presents in descriptive method.
The researchs results found that;
Human in Theravada Buddhism meant high-minded person or superb person. He born from Brahmas called Abhassara Brahma, conceived into the womb of his mother and grew in the womb about 9 months. The nature and character of human composed of 5 Khandhas namely, corporality (rūpa), sensation (vedanā), perception (saññā), mental formations (saṅkhāra), and consciousness (viññāna). There were 5 types of humans: 1) hell human, 2) ghost human, 3) animal human, 4) real human, and 5) god human. Humans were divided into 3 levels: 1) worldly person (puthujjana) who was thick with passion, 2) good person (kalyānajana) who was knowledgeable and moral person, and 3) noble person (ariyajana) who attained the Noble Truth.
Human in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche meant the will to have power called the superhuman, who was lack in excess and imperfect. There were two types of human: slave morality and master morality. Friedrich Nietzsche divided human into three levels: 1) slave level or who was not free, 2) master level or who was courageous and 3) the super level or who belonged itself. Nature and character of human was selfish. There was defilement which was a struggle behind all nature. Friedrich Nietzsches philosophy rejected atheism with the word was God is dead. This referred human freedom. Friedrich Nietzsches philosophy viewed that human potential was developed by the symbol of children.
The similarity and difference of human in Theravada Buddhist philosophy and Friedrich Nietzsches philosophy as follows; 1) Theravada Buddhism pointed out that humans were high-minded person, while Friedrich Nietzsche viewed that human was free called superhuman. For different opinion, Theravada Buddhism divided human into 5 categories and 3 levels, while Friedrich Nietzsche divided human into 2 types: slave moral human and master moral human. There were 3 levels of human: 1) slave level, 2) master level and 3) superhuman level. 2) Theravada Buddhism pointed out that nature and character of human composed with of 5 Khandhas namely, corporality (rūpa), sensation (vedanā), perception (saññā), mental formations (saṅkhāra), and consciousness (viññāna). While Friedrich Nietzsche viewed that the power of defilement struggled and divided into small group. These showed real slave character or selfishness. For the different opinion, Theravada Buddhism focused on eliminating lusts in the human heart. While Friedrich Nietzsche focused on using creative defilement. 3) For human freedom; Theravada Buddhism pointed out that freedom meant supreme person while Friedrich Nietzsche viewed that human freedom as the death of God. For different opinion, Theravada Buddhism emphasized the intention to get out of suffering, while Friedrich Nietzsche emphasized humans will to have legitimate power. 4) For human potential; Theravada Buddhism pointed out that human could be learned and trained to reach the supreme person, while Friedrich Nietzsche viewed that there should be a reform of the lifestyle, social model and re-evaluate of human. For different opinion, Theravada Buddhism focused on the practice of meditation until the achievement of supreme condition, while Friedrich Nietzsche used the symbol of children for reaching superhuman. 5) For the way to superhuman; Theravada Buddhism pointed out the practice of meditation, while Friedrich Nietzsche viewed that the way to superhuman developed from bad people (slave) to good person (master) and to freedom (superhuman). For different opinion, Theravada Buddhism pointed out that humans could develop to achieve Arahantahood, while Friedrich Nietzsche viewed that superhuman only remains in a stream-enterer (sotāpanna). And 6) the highest aim of Theravada Buddhism was to attain Arahantahood, while Friedrich Nietzsche was to achieve superhuman. For different opinion, Theravada Buddhism pointed that Arahant was super non-mundane, while Friedrich Nietzsche viewed that stream-enterer (sotāpanna) was still involved in mundane hood (Lokiyavisaya).