NIETZSCHE

SEMINARY OF SS. PETER AND PAUL

BODIJA-IBADAN (NIGERIA)

COURSE: CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY

TOPIC:  COMMENT ON THIS STATEMENT “THE NIETZSCHEAN CLAIM THAT GOD IS DEAD IS MORE A SOCIOLOGICAL OBSERVATION THAN A METAPHYSICAL DECLARATION”

STUDENT: MUOGBO MICHAEL IZUCHUKWU

LECTURER: DR. EUSTACHE K.M BADOU , CSJ

DATE: NOVEMBER 2014

INTRODUCTION

Born in 1844, Nietzsche is a German philosopher of contradiction. He is the bridge between modernity and post-modernity. Nietzsche is either infuriating or fascinating but never boring. He is often referred to as a brilliant madman in the complacent atmosphere of pre-1994; a destructive and perverse genius. The ideas he left behind are disturbing and difficult, just as the life he lived was tormented and burdensome.[1]

Nietzsche carries out his mission in a style that is sketchy, irritating and slippery. Typically, he expresses his ideas in aphorisms and brief pitchy statements meant to provoke, shock and challenge his readers. He says, “The good writer handles his language like a flexible foil, feeling from his arm right down to his toe the dangerous bliss of the quivering razor-sharp blade, which is eager to bite, hiss, cut…”[2]

In this paper, I wish to comment on the Nietzschean claim that GOD is DEAD as being more of a sociological observation than a metaphysical declaration. Nietzsche’s idea revolves around the notion that there is no objective truth, we are the only standard by which our ideas are measured, thus, our minds swim in a sea of personal interpretations. On the ground of the above exposition my aim in this work is to comment for the Nietzschean claim that GOD is DEAD, as being more a sociological observation than a metaphysical declaration. In exposing the theme of this work I shall adhered to this outline:

v  Who is Nietzsche?

v  What and when is the claim made?

v  My comments/ meaning of the Nietzschean claim.

v  Summary/conclusion.

WHO IS NIETZSCHE?

He is a German classical scholar, philosopher, and critic of culture, who became one of the most and provocative influential of all modern thinkers. His attempts to unmask the motives that underlie traditional Western religion, morality, and philosophy deeply affected generations of theologians, philosophers, psychologists, poets, novelists, and playwrights.[3]

WHAT AND WHEN IS THE CLAIM MADE?

Nietzsche claimed that “God is Dead”. Nietzsche made this claim in his book titled “Gay Science” when he thought through the consequences of the triumph of the Enlightenment's secularism, thus he expresses his observation that “God is dead” in a way that determined the agenda for many of Europe's most celebrated intellectuals after his death.

MY COMMENTS/ MEANING OF THE NIETZSCHEAN CLAIM

This Nietzschean claim that “God is Dead” is more a sociological observation than a metaphysical declaration. This claim of Nietzsche does not presuppose an unusual notion that an eternal being once existed and then died. It rather entails a description of a psychological and cultural event that made itself evident in the secular modern society. Irrespective of the fact that theism plays a decisive role in our civilization, he thinks we are getting into an era of secularism in which people will no longer find the notion of God clout, relevant or useful.

“God is dead” is not a metaphysical declaration but a recognition of what is considered by existential thinkers to be an observable, sociological fact; that God and the church are not at the center of the society anymore; they are not at the center of people’s thinking and no longer have the clout to underwrite values and meaning in modern society. The death of God refers to the religious and philosophical systems of thought that human beings have created to make sense of their world. The situation we must face as a consequence is the fundamental absurdity of life.[4]

In the proclamation with regards to the age of belief being over, Nietzsche gives no arguments for atheism and no refutation of traditional arguments for God. Rather, it is assumed by him that theism is a hypothesis that is no longer practicable or worthwhile. It has served its purpose and has being casted off. Nietzsche noticed the consequences of the loss of religious beliefs, and the fact that religious faith is no longer credible in the modern society. God is dead in the heart of men; people no longer believe in God. Secularism brought the rejection of God in everything.

CONCLUSION

As at the time Nietzsche made his claim, the modern society has loss the reverence to God and the use of religion is at the minimal. So observing and seeing the problems of irreligion and relativism, Nietzsche makes his claim, thus, “God is Dead”. People no longer conform to religious values, any religion for that matter. Nietzsche means that God is dead in the heart of men. The secularism present in the era of modernity brought about disbelief in religion and rejection of God in apparently everything.

With my own conviction and rationality, I see Nietzsche’s claim that “God is Dead”, as more a sociological observation than a metaphysical declaration, with regards to his observation of the activities of modernity, the modern society is practically relative and subjective. The modern society sees God as an obstacle to human development, the death of God is seen as a liberation in the modern society. With this famous claim of Nietzsche, he meant to say that God is dead in the heart of men, people no longer believe in God.  People decided to kill God in their hearts, just as Voltaire says “if there is God let us suppress him”.

As a matter of fact, this topic remains open to debate. I had only argued based on my personal opinion, but the issue at hand still remain open ended because I do not have the ultimate answer to the issue in question. The debate as to what Nietzsche meant is still on going, everybody is entitled to his/her opinion.

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[1] Williams F. Lawhead, THE VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY: A HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY, second edition (Wadsworth/ Thomson Lerning, 10 Davis Drive Belmont, USA, 2001). Pg. 416.

[2] Ibid. Pg. 417.

[3] "Nietzsche, Friedrich." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite.  Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2012.

[4] Christopher Panza and Gregory Gale, Existentialism For Dummies(Wiley Publishing, Inc, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2008) Pg. 42-45.