Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher born during the 1800s. His father, a Lutheran pastor, died when he was 4. During his early years, he too studied to be a minister but lost faith partway through. Instead, he pursued a career in thought. Nietzsche is known for the phrase “God is dead.” Perhaps the most misunderstood expression ever said. He is also credited with devising the term nihilism, where nobody cares about anything.
He recognized that religion’s authority over ethics was diminishing. That as society increased in ways of education, it outgrew the need for traditional faith. He said the first result would be nihilism (where nobody cares about anything), followed by a period when society comes up with its own moral code. Excited about this last step, Nietzsche didn’t die an atheist.
Rather than being told by religion what to do, people would become the masters of ethics. And though this proposition sounds liberating, it was also a large step. One that would require years of implementation and came along with risk. As a result, he forecast religion would initially be replaced by ideology, which would culminate in the death of millions. This came true by way of Nazis and commies. Fortunately, his next step is also coming true but there is always a catch.
Caveat
Throughout history philosophers have wrestled with the idea of ethics. The human struggle between reason and inner animal, plus the wishes for the whole over the desires of self, are everywhere in writing. And though Nietzsche didn’t say this, the concept of central control enforced by the notions of heaven and hell worked well for much of the population. It was only around 10% who rebelled.
Today, those numbers are reversed in modern nations. Here, 90% enjoy the idea of society creating its own set of rules but we still have to deal with the rest. Generally speaking, most get swept up in common culture. So if everyone else is doing it, they’ll usually go along. But there are exceptions. Like hard drug dealers born in Canada don’t see the conflict in choosing the material benefits of money over the spiritual burden of caring for the whole. So in some cases, society would be better served with a stricter code of conduct (which is why places like Iran haven’t yet converted).
Today
Looking back, the world has changed plenty over the past 200 years. Everything is different when you have financial means and access to education. Nietzsche lived at the front end of this revolution. And though he said some wonderful things, devising a moral code is a whole whack of work.
It’s like we’re living in a virtual courtroom with various outlets acting as attorneys. They tout their one side and we have to judge. It’s hard work being a judge because you have to listen to both stories. (And there are so many cases.)
A natural reaction is to simplify, but if you cling to political positions things don’t always line up. Parties often switch sides and fight among themselves. It’s better to look at topics on an individual basis. In the US, they’re experts at party-style conflict. Professional debaters thrive on showing only one side of the story. And though this method may be deemed acceptable, it’s currently not easy for those who speak up.
Summary
Nietzsche’s message came by identifying with human nature. People need something to believe in. And without motivation, folks tend to give up. Removing the perceived positive influence of religion leaves only politics for guidance. So the famous Marxian quote “religion is the opium of the people,” must be rewritten to substitute ideology for faith. Unfitting for democracy because any theory can get elected.
As we’re losing confidence in religious institutions, the masses have stopped listening to theology. Popes and pastors are losing their status, so these duties are falling on us. And while it appears we’re always fighting, actually we’re not. We’re just forging the future together and this is how it looks.
Every time an issue presents itself you have three choices: join one side evangelizing their story, become interested in the topic by exploring all options, or practice nihilism (where nobody cares about anything). Whichever you choose, God is not really dead. She just wants us to figure this out.
There’s a good BBC program called Genius of the Modern World. Season 1, episode 2 is about Nietzsche.