Nietzsche’s Philosophy: Death of God, Nihilism, and Critique of Morality

Posted on Dec 4, 2024 in Philosophy and ethics

I. The Concept of God

Nietzsche refers to the Christian God, but also to anything that replaces Him, as God represents the Absolute. God is a metaphor for Truth and Good, a reference point beyond existence. Anything that gives meaning to life but transcends it is similar to God (Nature, Progress, Revolution, Science taken as absolutes). Nietzsche’s “death of God” signifies humanity’s disorientation without an ultimate horizon. However, this “death” allows living without the absolute, in the “innocence of becoming,” paving the way for the Superman.

II. Nihilism

A. Nihilism and the Decadence of Life

Culture believing in absolute reality and objective values is nihilistic. Christianity, focusing on God and opposing the natural world, is nihilistic as it neglects the reality of life.

B. Active Nihilism

Philosophy showing the emptiness of dominant values is nihilistic. Nietzsche advocates destroying existing values and replacing them with new ones, a necessary step for a new cultural era, morality, and the Superman.

C. Passive Nihilism

A consequence of the “death of God,” it’s the belief in the supernatural’s unfounded nature. The loss of transcendent values leads to a crisis of meaning, despair, inaction, and even suicide.

III. Critique of Traditional Morality and Religion

A. Traditional Morality

Moral dogmatism believes in objective, universal moral values. Nietzsche argues that moral values are human-created, not objective, and vary across cultures and time.

B. Critique of Religion

Religious belief stems from resentment and the desire to hide life’s tragic dimension. Nietzsche critiques Christianity:

1. Christian Metaphysics

Christianity, like Platonism, cannot accept all aspects of life and seeks comfort outside this world.

2. Christian Morality

Christianity promotes “slave morality” (humility, subjection, poverty, weakness), born from resentment against the noble. It introduces the unhealthy idea of guilt.

3. Polytheism vs. Monotheism

While all religions are false, polytheism is preferable as it better expresses life’s richness compared to monotheism.

IV. Nietzsche’s Philosophy: Affirmation of Life

A. The Possibility of a New Philosophy

1. The Death of God Revisited

Nietzsche’s “death of God” means the belief in God, or any absolute entity, is dead. Key aspects:

  • God did not create man, but man created God.
  • Belief in God comforted those unable to accept life’s tragic dimension.
  • The “death of God” is a current event, marking a crucial historical turning point.