Nietzsche's Critique Of Christian Morality example essay topic

In 1859 Charles Darwin offered a theory that seemed to disprove the longstanding explanation of the origin of existence. Darwin's theory of evolution proposes a convincing argument that the universe was not created for a purpose, with intention, by a conscious God, but rather, was a phenomenon of random change. Friedrich Nietzsche articulated the gravity of the affect of Darwin's theory on society. He said that when Darwin published the theory of evolution people stopped believing in God.

Nietzsche wrote that when people stopped believing in God, God died. Nietzsche's assertion pivots on the assumption that God's existence depends solely on human belief. Nietzsche assumes that belief is the greatest power that humans possess, but that this belief could not stand strong against the theory of evolution. Many people believe that in order for life to be worth living, there must be an overarching purpose to existence, and thus, according to Nietzsche, form illusions for the sake of comfort. By believing in a morality, God, or other higher cause, people get to live their dream that there is ultimate justification for everything.

This serves to allow the imposition of an illusion so that one does not have to view the "truth" of the universe. One of these "truths" that Nietzsche proposes people deny is the "death of God". Nietzsche's statement that "God is dead" is intended to imply that there is a more accurate manner of existing now than following traditional doctrine dogmatically simply because it is tradition. Nietzsche believes that the time has passed when mankind "needed" the conception of God and the accompanying moralities, and that a new existence is coming into being. This new way of life is in accords with what he terms the way of the Overman (Superman), who has no need of a god, and lives life fully, strongly, and without appealing to outside notions. With God's death, Nietzsche proposes that "we must become gods ourselves" in order to be "worthy of this greatest of all deeds".

This serves to demand a transformation of the self to be a more powerful, more aware, and more active participant in life. Nietzsche says that with the death of God, a new sea of possibility has opened before us. This rests on the observation that there have always been many options that man would not let himself consider or experience, and with the removal of the conception of God, these options are now possible. Additionally, each of these options begets new experiences and new growth, and thus new possibilities.

Nietzsche heralds the death of God as the most profound event that has ever occurred. Not seeing any overall gain in a system of beliefs which teaches suppression, he purposes to give us a new one which is not only said to be as effective but also frees us of Christianity's binds. With his doctrine of the Superman, Nietzsche seeks to give us values that at the same time, create a medium where power is realized and strength flourishes, and define a purpose for life. For Nietzsche the Superman replaces God and Man, it comes to redeem a humanity crippled by nihilism, joyously affirming power and eternal return. In place of what he called the "slave morality" of Christianity, Nietzsche proposed to substitute a "master morality" in which the chief virtues would be strength, dominance, and the will to power. Each of these traits describes Nietzsche's master of all men, the Superman.

The Superman will be master both of himself and of his environment. It is not difficult to see enormous problems with Nietzsche's new model of morality and the super-human. When one begins to consider what the world would be like if it had many of Nietzsche's supermen in it, his innovative morality seems destined to bring about moral anarchy and nihilism as opposed to a joyous and truthful life as he described. It also seems clear that Nietzsche's critique of Christian morality was superficial and based on many serious misunderstandings. I believe that if Nietzsche had really understood the man whom he called "the first and last Christian", he might well have regarded Jesus Christ as the true Superman. Though people might not believe in a certain type of God they continue to search for something.

Nietzsche writes with a very narrow definition of God: the conscious, purposeful, mindful creator of existence. There is a possibility that this God died in 1859, but it did not leave western society Godless. In all of recorded human history people have never given up the search for meaning. This search is what I believe makes God a living reality. Humans are always yearning to find meaning. Only when this yearning stops, I believe, will God die.