Friedrich Nietzsche was one of the greatest and most profound philosophers of the modern era. I found it interesting that he called Christians, "Nihilists". A Nihilist is someone who believes in nothing and thrives on destruction. I thought this was kind of funny at first until I thought about it. Christians really do believe in nothing because there isn't actually a God. And they have thrived off of destruction throughout their entire history. I mean you have the fall of the Roman empire, the crucades, the inquisition, the holocaust, George W. Bush, etc. I personally think Nietzsche pegged 'em right, but I was wondering what your thoughts are?
2007-03-15 09:36:57 · 9 answers · asked by Friedrich Nietzsche 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Oh I beg to differ, Bill S.
For Nietzsche, a nihilist is someone who does not believe in the earth, who has to put his values elsewhere because the changeable, imperfect nature of the earth is too much for him. Christians are nihilists because they are despisers of the earth who can only truly love the perfection of God and heaven. They love seeing the earth put to disadvantage because then their belief that it should be disposed is strengthened. They don't always cause the destruction but they always revel in it.
Scientists may not despise the earth as Christians do but because they want to get to the heart of an objective truth about the world, one that eliminates all uncertainty (which life feeds on because it creates struggle) they are also Nihilists.
Oh and if you believe that Nietzsche is a rationalist clearly you have never read one of his passages against Socrates in which Nietzsche decries him for his insatiable lust for logic and rationalism. Nietzsche was no rationalist.
2007-03-18 05:27:44 · answer #1 · answered by K 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Another reader of Nietzsche, nice to have you on board.
In Nietzsche's view Christianity denies the value of this world in favour of another, better world. This is the heart of what he describes as nihilism.
As the belief in this other world declines it leads to disillusionment and the belief that nothing is of any value. Nietzsche advocates creating meaning and value in this world, despite it's suffering and impermanence.
This also figures in his critique of Buddhism and even science. Any teaching that denies this world in all it's changing nature is nihilistic in his view.
I'll take heat I guess for mentioning science as nihilistic. It's N's view not mine but I'll maybe post something on that argument and see what people think.
2007-03-15 09:46:21 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I beg to differ. nietzsche was a mediocre philosopher, at his best....And he was really out in left field after the syphillis rotted his brain.
"god is dead...we have killed him because rationalism is now our god'...summarizes what his main tenet was.
It is true that when he wrote, it was common to call the jews 'haters of mankind and the world'...and that has now come upon we Christians.
But your argumentis non sequitur. If I, as Christian, believe in Jesus, Then, I cannot believe in nothing because I believe in Jesus (and all that that encompasses).
Christians did not cause the roman empire to collapse, it decayed through its own excesses and corruption.
Christians did try to get Jerusalem back from the moslems...about 6,7,8 different times. The dome of the rock, in Jerusalem, not even to mention the haggia sophia are incontrovertible proof that they failed.
The inquisition was put in place to destroy heretics. A heretic is someone teaching other than what the church considered the truth (and, therefore, subject to all kinds of abuses and selfish purposes -- of men).
The holocause was done by pagans....who scape goated the Jews for their weaknesses and failures.
As to dubya....God, I don't know...he thinks he's bringing democracy to those poor people who need it so badly. Instead, he has our best and brightest in harms way; in a civil war of: guess what...moslems..who can't get along because one sect says..they'll only follow descendents of mohammad and the other sect says...there are non descendents that are 'chosen by god' to lead them..and they're blowing each other to hell, as we speak.
Those are some of my thoughts.
2007-03-15 10:00:26 · answer #3 · answered by Bill S 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i have listen of Jesus and his words, yet Nietzsche i have slightly heard of and is a nihilist himself as he easily believes in no longer some thing, and wastes words on nothingness. As a Christian i have self assurance the words spoken by ability of Jesus, words that are worth living by ability of and therefore do not tell me i don't be counted on some thing as i be counted on a desire and a destiny it truly is fantastic in any such vast volume of procedures. you may imagine of me as deluded, yet I do be counted on some thing even even if that's some thing that you won't be able to work out by the veils that were placed on your eyes.
2016-12-02 01:38:08 · answer #4 · answered by declue 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Freidrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a genius plain and simple.
2007-03-15 09:43:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I like his moustache.
I have read some Nietzsche, but i think he was mainly meaning the 'ashes to ashes, dust to dust' approach.
2007-03-15 09:40:57 · answer #6 · answered by Zen禅Maiden :ジェダイ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my oh my, did you get the Nobel Prize for that kind of thinking?? Your opinion is just that ,....an opinion...a poorly backed one at that..in MY opinion I disagree and I'm quite fond of my opinion.
One of the greatest and most profound..blah blah blah...you don't do much reading do you?
2007-03-15 09:41:45 · answer #7 · answered by LIVINGmylife 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Nietzsche is dead. Jesus Christ lives.
2007-03-15 09:45:11 · answer #8 · answered by wanda3s48 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah they are and they act like ******' facists and most of them act like nazis.
2007-03-15 09:42:54 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋