Wednesday, November 14, 2007
God is Dead....continued
aahrens said...
Well, believe me, I'm the farthest thing from a philosopher you'll ever meet. We know God is not "dead," but does this mean that by pushing God out, or ignoring Him, that all that God is our could be to us is "dead?" Just a shot in the dark, but I couldn't resist.
Very well done. You're on the right track. Nietzsche is not concerned with the actual death of a corporeal god in this passage. In fact, for this passage it doesn't even matter if God exists or not. He's writing in Europe in the late 1800s, just at the end of the industrial revolution.
I won't say what I think he's getting at just yet. I want to see what everyone else has to say.
Well, believe me, I'm the farthest thing from a philosopher you'll ever meet. We know God is not "dead," but does this mean that by pushing God out, or ignoring Him, that all that God is our could be to us is "dead?" Just a shot in the dark, but I couldn't resist.
Very well done. You're on the right track. Nietzsche is not concerned with the actual death of a corporeal god in this passage. In fact, for this passage it doesn't even matter if God exists or not. He's writing in Europe in the late 1800s, just at the end of the industrial revolution.
I won't say what I think he's getting at just yet. I want to see what everyone else has to say.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The Death of God?
Okay, stop. I know you've read the title and from what I've posted before you're expecting something outlandish. However, there is a passage that is oft quoted and seldom read. It's by Friedrich Nietzsche. It is where, supposedly, he announces the death of God. I'm going to paste the passage from the Gay Science in here. I'd like you to read it, and tell me what he's trying to say.
Alot of people ask me what a philosophy student does. Here it is. Here's what I do. Let's do some philosophy together. Can you find a non-atheistic reading of the following passage?
THE MADMAN AND THE DEATH OF GOD (The Gay Science Section 125)
Have you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to the market-place, and cried incessantly: "I am looking for God! I am looking for God!" As many of those who did not believe in God were standing together there, he excited considerable laughter. Have you lost him, then? said one. Did he lose his way like a child? said another. Or is he hiding? Is he afraid of us? Has he gone on a voyage? or emigrated? Thus they shouted and laughed. The madman sprang into their midst and pierced them with his glances. "Where has God gone?" he cried. "I shall tell you. We have killed him - you and I. We are his murderers. But how have we done this? How were we able to drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What did we do when we unchained the earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving now? Away from all suns? Are we not perpetually falling? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there any up or down left? Are we not straying as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder? Is it not more and more night coming on all the time? Must not lanterns be lit in the morning? Do we not hear anything yet of the noise of the gravediggers who are burying God? Do we not smell anything yet of God's decomposition? Gods too decompose. God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we, murderers of all murderers, console ourselves? That which was the holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet possessed has bled to death under our knives. Who will wipe this blood off us? With what water could we purify ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we need to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we not ourselves become gods simply to be worthy of it? There has never been a greater deed; and whosoever shall be born after us - for the sake of this deed he shall be part of a higher history than all history hitherto." Here the madman fell silent and again regarded his listeners; and they too were silent and stared at him in astonishment. At last he threw his lantern to the ground, and it broke and went out. "I have come too early," he said then; "my time has not come yet. The tremendous event is still on its way, still travelling - it has not yet reached the ears of men. Lightning and thunder require time, the light of the stars requires time, deeds require time even after they are done, before they can be seen and heard. This deed is still more distant from them than the distant stars - and yet they have done it themselves." It has been further related that on that same day the madman entered divers churches and there sang a requiem. Led out and quietened, he is said to have retorted each time: "what are these churches now if they are not the tombs and sepulchres of God?"
Alot of people ask me what a philosophy student does. Here it is. Here's what I do. Let's do some philosophy together. Can you find a non-atheistic reading of the following passage?
THE MADMAN AND THE DEATH OF GOD (The Gay Science Section 125)
Have you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to the market-place, and cried incessantly: "I am looking for God! I am looking for God!" As many of those who did not believe in God were standing together there, he excited considerable laughter. Have you lost him, then? said one. Did he lose his way like a child? said another. Or is he hiding? Is he afraid of us? Has he gone on a voyage? or emigrated? Thus they shouted and laughed. The madman sprang into their midst and pierced them with his glances. "Where has God gone?" he cried. "I shall tell you. We have killed him - you and I. We are his murderers. But how have we done this? How were we able to drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What did we do when we unchained the earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving now? Away from all suns? Are we not perpetually falling? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there any up or down left? Are we not straying as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder? Is it not more and more night coming on all the time? Must not lanterns be lit in the morning? Do we not hear anything yet of the noise of the gravediggers who are burying God? Do we not smell anything yet of God's decomposition? Gods too decompose. God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we, murderers of all murderers, console ourselves? That which was the holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet possessed has bled to death under our knives. Who will wipe this blood off us? With what water could we purify ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we need to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we not ourselves become gods simply to be worthy of it? There has never been a greater deed; and whosoever shall be born after us - for the sake of this deed he shall be part of a higher history than all history hitherto." Here the madman fell silent and again regarded his listeners; and they too were silent and stared at him in astonishment. At last he threw his lantern to the ground, and it broke and went out. "I have come too early," he said then; "my time has not come yet. The tremendous event is still on its way, still travelling - it has not yet reached the ears of men. Lightning and thunder require time, the light of the stars requires time, deeds require time even after they are done, before they can be seen and heard. This deed is still more distant from them than the distant stars - and yet they have done it themselves." It has been further related that on that same day the madman entered divers churches and there sang a requiem. Led out and quietened, he is said to have retorted each time: "what are these churches now if they are not the tombs and sepulchres of God?"
Sunday, November 11, 2007
What a weekend!
So, this weekend I flew to Phoenix to attend the wedding of a very good friend, stayed up late at the rehearsal dinner Friday night, went to the wedding on Saturday afternoon, and stayed at the reception until very late. I'm typically a person who enjoys his sleep. But, I also got good news this morning.
I woke up and checked my email and found out that a paper I wrote, "Blessing Those That Curse You: On Lonergan, Forgiveness, and the Problem of Evil" has been selected for presentation at a global conference on forgiveness in Austria this coming March! Just thought I'd share the good news.
I'm home now so it's time to rest.
I hope everyone else had a good weekend.
