The Gay Science, Aphorism 125: What does it mean to say “God is dead”? Was the madman right in fearing God 's death?
Answer: I don 't believe Nietzsche, through the madman, meant Yahweh (The Abrahamic god) had really died. It seems like the traditions of this god had died. The mad man "I seek God!" The, presumably atheists because they did not believe in the Abrahamic God, standing around jokingly asked him if his god had gone into hiding, or perhaps emigrated (10, aphorism 125). I think the madman 's answer is key here, however, as he says "we have killed him—you and I." Now atheists and some madman couldn 't have possibly killed some great, powerful deity, but what could they kill? They could contribute to the number of people who are not …show more content…
A whole lot of people are monotheistic and follow the moral guidelines or way of life that is laid down in their belief system. Their religion is the most important authority in a believer 's life, and on a greater level, controls the countries/populations that all share the same guidelines. Similarly, the "premature stagnation" that Nietzsche talks about is everyone, or a huge amount of people, coming to a wide consensus on what the moral authority is in their life (12, aphorism 143). With that said, the madman is telling the atheists that they are denying this God and the moral authority that His belief system has created. They are undermining and destroying …show more content…
"Who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves?" His way of speaking made it seem like he wished to find a way to perhaps purge such a sad event from his conscience, but perhaps he wanted to know how people would now find forgiveness. How would they decide what was clean and good, and how to remove the filth like God 's sin from their lives. With Him dead, there wouldn 't be any authority saying how things should be done; it would be chaos. All the churches left over, now described by the madman as "tombs" and "sepulchers", would be the only memory of a past moral authority which people no longer cared for or
Answer: I don 't believe Nietzsche, through the madman, meant Yahweh (The Abrahamic god) had really died. It seems like the traditions of this god had died. The mad man "I seek God!" The, presumably atheists because they did not believe in the Abrahamic God, standing around jokingly asked him if his god had gone into hiding, or perhaps emigrated (10, aphorism 125). I think the madman 's answer is key here, however, as he says "we have killed him—you and I." Now atheists and some madman couldn 't have possibly killed some great, powerful deity, but what could they kill? They could contribute to the number of people who are not …show more content…
A whole lot of people are monotheistic and follow the moral guidelines or way of life that is laid down in their belief system. Their religion is the most important authority in a believer 's life, and on a greater level, controls the countries/populations that all share the same guidelines. Similarly, the "premature stagnation" that Nietzsche talks about is everyone, or a huge amount of people, coming to a wide consensus on what the moral authority is in their life (12, aphorism 143). With that said, the madman is telling the atheists that they are denying this God and the moral authority that His belief system has created. They are undermining and destroying …show more content…
"Who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves?" His way of speaking made it seem like he wished to find a way to perhaps purge such a sad event from his conscience, but perhaps he wanted to know how people would now find forgiveness. How would they decide what was clean and good, and how to remove the filth like God 's sin from their lives. With Him dead, there wouldn 't be any authority saying how things should be done; it would be chaos. All the churches left over, now described by the madman as "tombs" and "sepulchers", would be the only memory of a past moral authority which people no longer cared for or