“God is Dead.” (The Gay Science) - Nietzsche
What people think it means
This quote might be interpreted as a proclamation of atheism.
What it actually means
Nietzsche presented this phrase as being new information for a group of atheists. So it’s not just a statement about atheism.
In this section of The Gay Science, Nietzsche discusses how many of the underpinnings of Western society, particularly our moral philosophy, implicitly rely on the concept of God. With the rise of atheism, everything that was built on the Christian faith is destined to "collapse" (GS 343).
Is this correct?
~
Alexander wrote:
I do not see it as a statement of atheism, but as a “statement of facts.” Since at least the 1700s but certainly by Nietzsche’s time, Western civilization entered a period where the sense of the sacred or holy had been evacuated of its value.
Let me see if I can explain what this means. Think, for example, of an aboriginal tribe in Australia. Or, think of the North American natives. Or, the Eskimo. Or, a tribe in Africa. All these cultures have one thing in common: an intrinsic value of the sacred.
They may call their priest by different names: medicine man, shaman, mystic, alchemist, philosopher, magician, witch doctor, seer... but they all have him. And, he occupies a special place in society.
This person has (real or imagined) knowledge of spiritual matters. In Judeo-Christian civilization, these are the prophets, the intermediaries between man and the divine. All the populace reveres this figure, goes to him for guidance and counsel, and believes in him.
This is just one sense of the “sacred.” Another is, for instance, blasphemy. This is something we do all the time today but was quite serious in the past. I say “Jesus Christ!” when I hit my foot (because what else would we say!) but in prior times that would be considered disrespecting a sacred figure.
The concept there is basically some figures (Jesus, Mary, saints, etc) are in some way “other.” They are holy, that means you aren’t supposed to refer to them in the same way you do profane or worldly things.
One other thought I had is I feel Nietzshe is definitely referring to European culture when he says God is dead. Europe’s wars of religion and the shift they went through after that changed them forever. It is interesting because my African friends I know definitely take the idea of piety (even if that isn’t the word they use) way more seriously: for example, not making jokes about Jesus. And if you compare with Muslims, they certainly still have a pious or religious culture.
Nietzshe was absolutely correct in my opinion and ahead of his time. There were still churchgoers in his age but he knew the shift had occurred in the hearts of people. And, the proceeding centuries proved him right.
These days I see people going to church and I think, “oh, that’s so nice and quaint,” but many of the religious I meet I feel haven’t fully processed the modern condition.
The death
of God leads to a situation, according to Nietzshe, where we are left
without any real values or purpose. This is the condition of modern man
and what existentialism refers to. But, Nietzshe is very heroic about
this, and says don’t despair, this is a great opportunity! Now, you will
do like no other and create your own values!
