In Nietzsche’s book, The Gay Science, he declares that god is dead at the beginning of section 3 in aphorism 108. The meaning of this statement, in the context of providing a solid possible interpretation of Nietzsche’s argument, is that god, not as a being, but as an idea is dead. To provide a conception of god as an idea, I believe it to mean an idea of morality, living life a certain way according to rules, justifying existence through a higher being, or seeing nature as a guided aspect of life. With this in mind, after analyzing aphorisms 108, 109, 111, 115, and 125, I believe Nietzsche’s argument to be that god is dead as a result of a change in thinking, for example the evolution of logic. However, I believe Nietzsche thinks people are very afraid of this change and it fact halted from full realization of god being gone.
In aphorism number 108 Nietzsche presents the argument that god is dead. The passage inspires contemplation on the state of the world as a result of god being gone. The absence of god, of course, means no guiding principles, no understanding of why or how we live. The frightful shadow Nietzsche describes in the passage is all that is left of god. It is frightful because even though the idea of god is dead, people still go backwards into that way of thinking. The people showing the shadow in a cave means that people do this out of desperation. They seek shelter and safety from the great unknown, which is life without god. Saying that people may do this for millenniums yet, I think Nietzsche implies that it will be a long time before people are completely adjusted to the new way of life, however, it is possible that the duration could be shorter. I believe this is a reference to the philosopher knowing the wa...
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...ing life without god in the reality of ungoverned nature. The significance of the mad man’s actions in smashing the lamp and saying it is too early is only to say that the people cannot move on yet. God is dead and they are still living in his shadow. It is only the mad man that recognizes this because he is the philosopher; the man of logic that acknowledges that god is dead. He has the power to show the people the new way of life, hence him holding the lamp, but he realizes he cannot because the people are afraid and still live in god’s shadow.
In conclusion Nietzsche states that god is dead. This has occurred because of the evolution in logic. However, instead of being the widespread change that Nietzsche desires, it is mired in people’s fear of the unknown. They are stuck in the shadow of god, despite the evolution of logic, for an uncertain amount of time.
We have grown weary of man. Nietzsche wants something better, to believe in human ability once again. Nietzsche’s weariness is based almost entirely in the culmination of ressentiment, the dissolution of Nietzsche’s concept of morality and the prevailing priestly morality. Nietzsche wants to move beyond simple concepts of good and evil, abandon the assessment of individuals through ressentiment, and restore men to their former wonderful ability.
However, Nietzsche’s idea of the powerful forcing their will on common people resonates with me. It is something we see in our modern society, wealthy people seem to have a higher influence over the average American. Examples of powerful people controlling others are found in politics, economy, media, and religion. Common people are lead to think in certain ways that the powerful need them to. Nietzsche said that people will only be equal as long as they are equal in force and talent, people who have a higher social group are more influential in decisions because average people look to them for information. The thing I do not agree with Nietzsche on his view as Christianity as a weakness because religion is a main cause of people’s decision
The first reason for this would be because Nietzsche believes that Socrates and philosophy have killed art, and he also believes we do not need the truth because we have art and music. In “On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense” Nietzsche says that science is part of the “columbarium of concepts” (Pg. 150), this meaning simply that concepts kill, and since Nietzsche believes the truth is a concept, and then in turn he is saying the truth kills.
Nietzsche is not persuaded and does not use religion in his writings. He however does believe that there is good that can come out of suffering. However the good that comes out of it is the fact that through suffering the strong man will become stronger, because of the suffering. Nietzsche feels that religion is only for the weal and that offers support for those that are weak. This is true to a point, religion can help people who are going through a hard time, and is helpful when someone is at a low point. However this is not the only time someone can use religion, strong men need religion just as much as the
...e. Because what we choose in life determines the degree to which we live. And at the very core of every person lies the drive to live. As humans with a high degree of cognitive intelligence, we are a part of nature, not above it; our high intellect should serve as a tool to understand this fact. To Nietzsche, humans must destroy everything, so that a new and more pure humanity centered on life can rise. I do agree that we must abandon the traditional illusions that have prevented humans from embracing life, but living in pursuit of destruction is not necessarily the answer. I believe that we must not let human made and human imposed notions of right or wrong control how we live, but living for the sake of destruction is not living. We must live to find an inner and individual satisfaction. Therefore, all life choices should be made with the intent of embracing life.
Nietzsche’s dramatis personae “…is different than the actor of this drama” (Science 241). The preparatory human being is one who sees the world as Nietzsche does, and so his characterization is Nietzsche, and people who he sees stick out from the rest of society. The preparatory human being is one that is fit for the transition that Nietzsche sees the world around him going through. This is the destruction of the belief in God. Nietzsche proposes that the belief has receded and questions how people will be able to cope with this (Science 181). Mentioned, also, by Nietzsche in The Gay Science is his view that monotheism stifles and directs the individual towards a normative sense of mora...
First of all, from my interpretation of Nietzsche, modern humanity did not invent the idea of God. Rather the God had a functional role from his point of view. There is no doubt that, modern humanity had the idea of God, but in my opinion, this idea was like a heritage to the modern humanity from their ancestors. We should look at the earlier times of the history in order to understand the roots of the invention of God.
Friedrich Nietzsche is a German philosopher who lived in 1844 to 1900, and his proposition on eternal recurrence was one of his most discussed works. The concept states that the world is eternally self – destroying, then self – creating, over time. He radicalizes the Christian concept of eternity and combines it with simple reasoning to come up with an innovative concept. This paper will discuss in detail what eternal recurrence is and the implications of such a concept on free spirits, and whether adopting such a belief will make a person’s life better or not. The paper will then proceed to offer a response to criticism on Nietzsche’s proposition. The text to be used is the second edition of ‘Existentialism: Basic Writings’ by Charles Guignon and Derk Pereboom. This book offers good rudimentary synopsis of the four major proponents of existentialism: Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, and Kierkegaard, with excerpts from Husserl and Hegel aimed at giving a better explanation on the origin of existentialism. The author offers a simplified explanation on the various philosophical concepts by the philosophers mentioned above, making it easier to understand than would have been possible if one was reading the original works. The specific area of interest from the book is the area that covers Nietzsche’s Gay Science, as it offers insight on his concept of eternal recurrence.
Firstly, Nietzsche stated that life is death in the making and all humans should not be determined by an external force rather, he believed that humans should have the incentive to think for themselves. Nietzsche claimed the future of a man is in his own hands. Simultaneously, humans are phased with struggles in the attempt to self-create themselves. Nietzsche proceeded with his argument affirming
...’s lack of a direct response to this apparent contradiction ensures that this matter will continue to be hotly debated well into the future. For this seemingly simple contradiction of positing truths when one has denied all absolute truths, Nietzsche gives a very complex and personal answer.
This confirms Nietzsche's negative view of religion / Christianism. Nietzsche said that religion shouldn't How can religion not be an 'end-in-itself' for religious believers? A counter-argument to this would be to say that religion as an instrument is not a religion.
Adding to the obvious structural references to cathedrals and religion, the language and character actions present further evidence of an epiphany of divine proportions. The television program which the characters watch together deals entirely with cathedrals. This spurs the first real conversation between the narrator and the blind man. This presents religion as some form of common ground, on which one could stand, even without sight. When first asked by Robert, the blind man, if he was "in any way religious," the narrator asserts that he is not, and goes on to explain how cathedrals and religion "don’t mean any...
He begins by looking at the very common views of death that are held by most people in the world, and tells us that he will talk of death as the "unequivocal and permanent end to our existence" and look directly at the nature of death itself (1). The first view that
Greater levels of unfolding will be revealed in retrospect to life and death and how the two cannot share the same space, or simultaneously exist as one. Furthermore, in relation to the principle of dying the death, a revelation is found by sharing the mind of God unto you. As we know, life and death ca...
People view the statement “God is dead” as an aesthetic statement. They do not journey into the underlying or more obvious meanings of the quote. Even though Fredrick Nietzsche may have been an atheist, I do not believe he meant “God is dead” in a literal or aesthetic way. Nietzsche was pointing out that in society the cultural expansion of other religions and introduction of nihilism have changed Western society morally.