Differences Between Kierkegaard And Nietzsche

Faith and religion have a multitude of meanings across peoples, cultures, and times. However, one thing that has remained unchanged over millions of years is our conflicting subjective views of it. Whether we embrace or reject the concepts of faith and religion on a personal level, there’s no denying that these concepts have had a major influence on shaping our societies and philosophical thought throughout time. Dissenters of the ‘religious status quo’, Soren Kierkegaard and Fredrich Nietzsche, are not exempt from the reach of religiosity and all it involves. Many may interpret Kierkegaard and Nietzsche as antitheses to each other. While one of the philosophers mentioned is thought of as a blatant atheist, and the other a Christian, there are definite fundamental differences present, yet their views are surprisingly …show more content…
Describing the philosophers that value the concept of God as “sickly web-spinners”, Nietzsche asserts that they traditionally had a tendency to “posit what comes at the end…the “highest concepts”, that is the emptiest concepts” (Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols: Or, How to Philosophize with the Hammer). Nietzsche uses this idea to bring attention to the fact the modern philosophers of his time valued the concept of God, “the most real thing” and create entire ideologies and structures that then dictate how we should live. Nietzsche described these notions as “mental distortions”. Ultimately Nietzsche believed that the concept of God was born from a desire to have some sense of security or comfort. Further, Nietzsche goes as far as saying the concept of God has become life-denying in the sense that it condemns natural instincts as illustrated when Nietzsche says, “By saying, “God looks into the heart.” It says No to the lowest and highest desires of life, and takes God as an enemy of life” (Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols: Or, How to Philosophize with the