Final answer:
Nietzsche's Übermensch concept and will to power narrative suggest that humans inherently strive for dominance, and morality is a mask for this drive. His distinct notion of master and slave morality differentiates between life-affirming noble souls and resentful weak ones. Some pre-Nietzschean thoughts might hint towards these ideas, but Nietzsche uniquely developed and articulated them.
Step-by-step explanation:
When discussing the concept of those who only contribute in transitioning will pass away, which seems aligned with Nietzsche's idea that 'Man is only a bridge to Superman', the student is referring to Nietzsche's concept of the Übermensch. This notion is part of Nietzsche's philosophy that revolves around the idea of the will to power as a fundamental drive in humans, which prompts them to impose their will on others. Though not explicitly clarified in the query, it seems that the student is asking whether a certain thinker shared an inchoate version of this concept before Nietzsche developed it fully. If that's the case, it should be noted that while Nietzsche's philosophy was indeed unique in its articulation of the Übermensch, there might have been rudiments of this idea in earlier philosophical or cultural canons that Nietzsche then refined and elaborated upon.
Nietzsche's will to power is the idea that all humans strive to assert their dominance over others, which is regarded as an inherent motivation to act. According to Nietzsche, traditional concepts of morality are merely camouflage for this drive. Nietzsche's Übermensch represents a transcendence of conventional moral values, emphasizing excellence and self-affirmation over traditional morality.
The notion of master and slave morality in Nietzsche's philosophy pertains to the contrast between the noble souls who affirm life and assert their will to power (masters) and the base souls whose morality is born out of weakness and resentment (slaves). Nietzsche's ethical principles suggest a Darwinian struggle where those who assert their will to power are the 'fittest' in a metaphorical sense.