Two Brands of Nihilism Essay -- Nietzsche Nihilism Philosophy Essays

Two Brands of nihilistic delusionAs philosopher and poet Nietzsches piss is not easily conformable to the impostal schools of thought within philosophy. However, an unambiguousconcern with the role of religion and values penetrates a lot of his work.Contrary to the tradition before him, Nietzsche launches vicious diatribesagainst Christianity and the dualistic philosophies he finds essentially lifedenying. disrespect his early tutelage under the influence of Schopenhauersphilosophy, Nietzsche later philosophy indicates a refusal to cast existence asembroiled in pessimism but, instead, as that which should be affirmed, even inthe face of bad fortune. This essay bequeath report in further detail Nietzsche viewof Schopenhauer and Christianity as essentially nihilistic.NihilismThroughout his work Nietzsche makes extensive use of the term nihilism. Intexts from the tradition prior to Nietzsche, the term connotes a necessaryconnection among atheism and the subsequent disbelief in values. It was heldthe atheist regarded the moral norms of friendship as merely conventional, withoutany justification by rational argument. Furthermore, without a divine authorityprohibiting any immoral conduct, all appeals to morality by authority becomehollow. By the atheists reckoning then, all acts are permissible.With Nietzsches carriage on the scene, however, arrives the most potentarguments denying the necessary link between atheism and nihilism. It will bedemonstrated that Nietzsche, in fact, will argue it is in the appeal to divineproscriptions that the most virulent nihilism will attain. in that location is a second sense of nihilism that appears as an outgrowth of the freshmanthat Nietzsche appeals to in his critique of values. It contends that not onlydoes an active, pious, acknowledgment of a theology foster nihilism, but also,the disingenuous worship of a deity that has been replaced in the life man byscience, too, breeds a passive nihilism.ChristianityNietzsche co nceives the first frame of nihilism, that fostered through activeworship, as pernicious due to its reinforcement of a fundamental attitude thatdenies life. Throughout his life Nietzsche argued the contemporary metaphysical radical for belief in a deity were merely negations of, or attempt to deny, theuncertainties of what is necessarily a situated human existen... ...if a man is artlessand in full possession of his faculties, he will never conjure to bear it overagain, but rather than this, he will much prefer absolute annihilation (WWI589). Schopenhauers pessimism has some roots in our unfitness to adequatelysatisfy our wants. A casual indication might have one to believe both philosopherstook the will to be the same oject or process, but that where one celebrates itthe other denigrates it. A more careful reading will reveal, however, that,Nietzsche though initially impressed with the Schopenhauer conception of thewill, he will later reject it. Schopenhauer concieves the wil l to be a primalmetaphysical reality.The mileage the two philosophers get from investigating will, the term is nocoordinate in their use, nor are we surorised at the disparity of their maturephilosophies. For Nietzsche, the calmness of the will is a forlorn denial oflife. Similarly, the appeal to a prodigious deity also indicts the indivualsas resentful in the face of those who bed affirm life. Nietzsche proposes oneshould affirm life even in the middle of tragedy, thus the passive nihilism thatembraces the ascetic ideals are overcome.