Nietzsche Religion Analysis

In studying religions and the human experience of religion, it is clear that there are both similarities and differences in the enumeration of practices and beliefs around the world and in various cultures and by various scholars. Though it is expressed in a multitude of ways, Nietzsche argues that there is a thread connecting the human religious experience, which can be called the ascetic ideals. “Nietzsche introduces this essay by asking, “what is the meaning of ascetic ideals?” He answers that it has meant many different things to many different people, suggesting that we would “rather will nothingness than not will...” (97-98). In Neitzsche’s first observation, this refers to the radical aspect of an engagement with the “chastity” of an artist, Richard Wagner – whose leap to the other end (to asceticism) is only a change of sense, meaning that an artist like Wagner embraced chastity in the old age is merely an influential change caused by Schopenhauer (101-102) . …show more content…
Nietzsche argues that, philosophers such as Schopenhauer etc and Socrates further delineate from the ordinary world, and in doing so come to similar but strikingly contrasting positions as to the relationship men are capable of having with women, especially with marriage; one marked by hindrance and calamity for Schopenhauer etc, and by malicious, ironic comedian type for Socrates (107). For Nietzsche, philosophers are to speak like the Buddha did when he was told of the birth of his son: "Rahula has been born to me, a fetter has been forged to me;" thinking thus, he left the palace (although Nietzsche says Rahula means a little demon, that meaning is never even closer to what the original word