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| | The ''Übermensch'' (overhuman, superhuman) was a literary device used in his magnum opus, "[[Thus Spoke Zarathustra]]". The Overman was to be a new kind of being which would overcome resentment and affirm the Eternal Recurrence of the same. | | The ''Übermensch'' (overhuman, superhuman) was a literary device used in his magnum opus, "[[Thus Spoke Zarathustra]]". The Overman was to be a new kind of being which would overcome resentment and affirm the Eternal Recurrence of the same. |
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| − | The statement "God is dead" first appeared in Nietzsche's "[[The Gay Science]]", in Aphorism 108, titled "New Struggles". This aphorism introduces Nietzsche's famous Madman, who runs out into the street shouting, "God is dead!" Yet, to his dismay, the Madman sees "he has come too soon," for people have not realized this cultural revelation for themselves and are blind to it. They consider the Madman's seemingly theological claim as absurd for they misunderstand him; it is no argument about the existence of God, but a claim of how secular society has become. Nietzsche was no friend to Christian beliefs, and no doubt considered the Christian God to be a mere myth. This passage shows his hope for a philosophy of the future, one he imagined would be emptied of coarse objective rationalizing, which he characterized as God and associated with Christianity. Nietzsche, in other words, felt his message of subjective truth came too soon and hoped, as the Madman, that he would be understood someday. | + | The statement "God is dead" first appeared in Nietzsche's "[[The Gay Science]]", in Aphorism 108, titled "New Struggles". This aphorism introduces Nietzsche's famous Madman, who runs out into the street shouting, "God is dead!" Yet, to his dismay, the Madman sees "he has come too soon," for people have not realized this cultural revelation for themselves and are blind to it. They consider the Madman's seemingly theological claim as absurd for they misunderstand him; it is no argument about the existence of God, but a claim of how [[secular]] society has become. Nietzsche was no friend to Christian beliefs, and no doubt considered the Christian God to be a mere myth. This passage shows his hope for a [[philosophy]] of the future, one he imagined would be emptied of coarse objective rationalizing, which he characterized as God and associated with Christianity. Nietzsche, in other words, felt his message of subjective truth came too soon and hoped, as the Madman, that he would be understood someday. |
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| | Nietzsche's father Carl Ludwig Nietzsche, was a [[Lutheran]] pastor. | | Nietzsche's father Carl Ludwig Nietzsche, was a [[Lutheran]] pastor. |
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| | ==On Morality== | | ==On Morality== |
| − | Friedrich Nietzsche argued that [[rational egalitarianism]] denies [[creativity]], and reason cannot create values and morality, attempt to do so would only lead to [[nihilism]]. Therefore morality has been imposed. | + | Friedrich Nietzsche argued that [[rational egalitarianism]] denies [[creativity]], and reason cannot create values and [[morality]], attempt to do so would only lead to [[nihilism]]. Therefore morality has been imposed. |
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| | Friedrich Nietzsche wrote "Morality is the herd-instinct in the individual.", "With morality, the individual can only ascribe value to himself as a function of the herd", "I submit that egoism belongs to the essence of a noble soul ... and has its basis in the primary law of things", "all morality is partisan; just as any legal system will favor certain behavior against others", "who else should we wish to serve, if not ourselves?" and "Whoever battles monsters should take care not to become a monster too, for if you stare long enough into the Abyss, the Abyss stares back into you." | | Friedrich Nietzsche wrote "Morality is the herd-instinct in the individual.", "With morality, the individual can only ascribe value to himself as a function of the herd", "I submit that egoism belongs to the essence of a noble soul ... and has its basis in the primary law of things", "all morality is partisan; just as any legal system will favor certain behavior against others", "who else should we wish to serve, if not ourselves?" and "Whoever battles monsters should take care not to become a monster too, for if you stare long enough into the Abyss, the Abyss stares back into you." |
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| | Friedrich Nietzsche wrote "the religious nature follows the path of self-denial" and "they honored something in themselves when they honored the saint ... self mastery and the will to power". | | Friedrich Nietzsche wrote "the religious nature follows the path of self-denial" and "they honored something in themselves when they honored the saint ... self mastery and the will to power". |
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| − | Thus Friedrich Nietzsche viewed [[Moses]], [[Jesus]], [[Buddha]], [[Homer]] etc, not as religious figures, but as creators of rigid moral frameworks, who lost their authority as Europe began to become secular. | + | Thus Friedrich Nietzsche viewed [[Moses]], [[Jesus]], [[Buddha]], [[Homer]] etc, not as religious figures, but as creators of rigid moral frameworks, who lost their authority as [[Europe]] began to become secular. |
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| | ==See Also== | | ==See Also== |