Theory of Life Force as embodied in Man and Superman

Man and Superman is perhaps the most notable play of George Bernard Shaw. Here he represents is philosophy of creative evolution. In metaphysical speculation Shaw may be neither original nor great but he has abundant skill in presenting difficult ideas of love, marriage sex and romance etc dramatically. Among the variety of

philosophical topics, the Shavian ideas on Life Force and creative evolution demand the greatest attention in "Man and Superman".

George Bernard Shaw has rejected both the theories- the Christian theory of omnipotent God and the mechanical theory of Darwin. Both of them fall sort of reason. Yet he believes in the existence of a power behind evolution and called it the Life Force. It is not an omnipotent and omniscient perfection but is striving to be so. It acts on the principle of trial and error, and creates the problem of evil by its unsuccessful experiment and mistakes. In this way, Shaw found a solution of evil, which was not available in Christianity.

The Life Force, says Don Juan, is the creative power behind the universe. It has its own design and purpose but its ultimate aim is not unknown. It has a passion after perfection; it rejects the lower forms of life as soon as it finds a higher one. It is a callous to happiness as it is to morality. Don Juan, the exponent of this theory says that beauty worshiping and happiness hunting is not worth a dump as a philosophy of life. If the Life Force cancels for beauty, it would not have produced ugly animals like elephant and the ape. In its effort for achieving perfection, it has created series of beings one coming after another. This indications an upward drive for perfection and each species is an improvement upon the preceding one.

According to the theory, woman plays the most vital role in the creation. She is the Life Force incarnate, is the embodiment of the creative power behind the universe. She has an irresistible impulse not only to perpetuate the species but to procreate a better one. Far back in the evolutionary process, woman invented and created man for the sole purpose of her own impregnation because a double-sexual process of procreation is more economical than a single sexual process. From this point of view, man is nothing more than an instrument to enable her to replenish the earth. Man has no utility to her except as father to her child. She is ordained to be another and is, therefore, in a desperate need of a man who can fertilize her. So, the woman takes initiative in sex-affairs. Thus man is the pursued and woman the pursuer.

The role of man in the Life Force, although placed to next to that of woman, is not insignificant in bearing superman. Tanner is the representative of average man but Don Juan of the philosophic man. The philosopher is something more than a mere instrument of woman's purpose. He is the symbol of intellectual consciousness. Woman creates and preserves life while the philosopher gives value to it. The Life Force is served by woman's fecundity as it is served by the philosopher's brain. The purpose of man and woman is the purpose of the Life Force. Woman perpetuates the species while the man of genius improves its quality by conceiving something better.

However, the theory of Life Force has been criticized on many grounds. According to this theory there is no freedom of choice for man. He must obey the Life Force or be scrapped. Secondly, there is no guarantee that the Life Force will ever create the perfection it seeks.