Nietzsche can be argued—and among scholars there are multiple offerings of interpretation, sympathetic and unsympathetic—but he ought not to be simply dismissed based on a casual reading. He is damnably difficult, and as (deliberately?) torturous as a briar-thicket. Zarathustra cannot be read as some kind of collection of Kahlil Gibran-esque wisdom sayings: it contains a narrative, in which Z experiences mistakes and failures along his journey. (Kathleen Higgins’ Nietzsche’s Zarathustra is a good intro.)
Scholars still engage in speculative debate about whether or not Nietzsche was really an atheist—he certainly rejected the Judeo-Christian God. This God-concept he felt had become so undermined, principally by scientific investigation and discovery, as to be untenable to the modern mind—i.e., “dead, and we killed him.” However, he felt that this God-concept was woven so tightly into western culture, that he feared its loss would trigger a deep and destructive chronic nihilism.* His “answer” was to throw out the challenge of the “eternal recurrence” and the rather stoical (if one can speak in terms of a passionate stoic) amor fati.
A popular entertainment that is thoroughly Nietzschean (except for the ending) is the film Groundhog Day, in which the world-weary hero (played by Bill Murray) is confronted with the eternal recurrence—he panics, falls into suicidal despair, eventually embraces amor fati and follows the path of the ubermensch, expanding his own passion for life and through the generosity of that passion also helping others (through generosity, not self-sacrifice). It’s also wonderfully comic along the way.
* Nietzsche used the word “nihilism” in more than one way. He thought that an acute and temporary nihilistic attitude need not be dangerous, but could simply be a temporary “giving up” of the struggle, that actually allowed a kind of “breathing space”....
Originally posted by telerionWhat do you equate to true death...?
He conquered physical death, but not True Death.
Jesus went through every death possible and conquered it all...
Death to others, Death to self, Death of life, and finally, to the very end of Death itself, he had executed his mission...perfectly. Just like everything else in his life.
Something that is perfect must have the ability to conquer death itself. If he died again he would not have saved us all.
Therefore, you speak blasphemy.
If you try to prove me wrong, here.
Colossians 1:15 "And he is the image of the Invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."
John 1:1 "En arche en ho Logos kai ho Logos en pros ton Theon kai Theos en ho Logos."
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, AND THE WORD WAS GOD.
Originally posted by SamuraiWarriorOne can never come back from True Death, else it wouldn't be a true death now would it?
What do you equate to true death...?
Jesus went through every death possible and conquered it all...
Death to others, Death to self, Death of life, and finally, to the very end of Death itself, he had executed his mission...perfectly. Just like everything else in his life.
Something that is perfect must have the ability to conquer death i ...[text shortened]... ."
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, [b]AND THE WORD WAS GOD.[/b]
🙂