"God is Dead" Nietzsche's proclamation to the "advent of nihilism"

Essay by RobStoneUniversity, Bachelor'sA, May 2005

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Frederick Nietzsche states clearly his reasoning for "God is dead, God remains dead, and we have killed him". This statement has brought many to ponder the reasoning of Nietzsche's position. Western Civilization and its culture are to blame according to Nietzsche. The "Advent of Nihilism" is also to blame for the death of God. Nietzsche believes there is no objective order or structure in the world except what we give it. This belief or theory struck a chord in the global community after it circulated throughout the world.

Nihilism, simply stated is the belief in nothing. No faith or greater power, no creator of the world. Man is his own God, his own judge and jury. Nietzsche's argument is that with the "advent of nihilism", man began to change his beliefs and faith in an all knowing, all powerful creator and instead, needs no master. The definition of nihilism could be taken as there is no free will due to every action being caused by an event or action before it.

This lack of free would then take God out of the picture and make man his own master, or does it?

If every action was caused by an event or action before hand, the question that remains is what action spurred this whole ball rolling which is the world? Another

question would be, how can man be his own master if actions are determined by other actions or events and not from man itself? Not predetermined by an all-mighty creator or God. This is a large hole in the Nietzsche theory of "God is dead".

Nietzsche is not out to disprove all old values but rather, testing them to see which ones hold up to a modern test. I think Nietzsche believes that...