Interpretations of 2001: A Space Odyssey the myriad mysteries of cosmic intelligence anathema. The film has been seen by many people not only as a literal story about evolution and space adventures, but as an allegorical representation of aspects of philosophical, religious or literary concepts. Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical tract "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", about the potential of mankind, is directly referred to by the use of Richard Strauss's musical piece of the same name. Nietzsche writes that man is a bridge between the ape and the Übermensch. In an interview in the "New York Times", Kubrick gave credence to interpretations of 2001 based on "Zarathustra" when he
2001: A Space Odyssey (film) Dawn" inspired the film's "Dawn Of Man" sequence. Kubrick and Clarke privately referred to the project as "How the Solar System Was Won", a reference to MGM's 1962 Cinerama epic "How the West Was Won". On February 23, 1965, Kubrick issued a press release announcing the title as "Journey Beyond The Stars". Other titles considered include "Universe", "Tunnel to the Stars", and "Planetfall". In April 1965, eleven months after they began working on the project, Kubrick selected "2001: A Space Odyssey"; Clarke said the title was "entirely" Kubrick's idea. Intending to set the film apart from the "monsters-and-sex" type of