The Antichrist is the peak of Nietzsche’s criticism of Christianity, or at least that’s what he intended for it to be. Though he strongly critiques Christianity many of the reasons he gives for doing so lack solid evidence (even more so than usual).
In the first half, Nietzsche begins by expressing his hatred for modernity. The modern man has reached a state of apathy towards life. Christianity appeals to modern man offering a clear path to happiness, but this is deceptive. Nietzsche asserts that greatest good we can achieve is through the acquisition of power (i.e. the exact opposite of what Christians suggest for a good life). Given this Christianity perverts the nature of man substituting his greatest good for the trivial mediocrity once vilified, but now praised by the masses.
Nietzsche goes on to give many criticisms from his previous works (e.g. Christians reject life, Buddhism suffers many of Christianity’s faults, etc.). However, in section 39 he provides a new critique. He talks of the way Christians try to be like Jesus, which he believes to be a better grounding principle of the religion than to simply state your belief in God’s …show more content…
To have believed that Jesus was God and then to see your savior crucified would have been tragic. Thus, Christians had to give reason to their savior’s death, and painted the event as a sacrifice for human sin. Consequently, what should have been an end to this religion was pushed forward through cognitive dissonance.
Overall Nietzsche is right in his assessment of Christianity as a confused and illogical religion. Although I have a hard time taking much of what is said in the Anti-Christ seriously. If anything, most of the ideas Nietzsche conveys here are interesting musses that may contain some truth, but the majority seem unjustified. That isn’t to say they are not possible truths rather they are simply not plausible
In the first half, Nietzsche begins by expressing his hatred for modernity. The modern man has reached a state of apathy towards life. Christianity appeals to modern man offering a clear path to happiness, but this is deceptive. Nietzsche asserts that greatest good we can achieve is through the acquisition of power (i.e. the exact opposite of what Christians suggest for a good life). Given this Christianity perverts the nature of man substituting his greatest good for the trivial mediocrity once vilified, but now praised by the masses.
Nietzsche goes on to give many criticisms from his previous works (e.g. Christians reject life, Buddhism suffers many of Christianity’s faults, etc.). However, in section 39 he provides a new critique. He talks of the way Christians try to be like Jesus, which he believes to be a better grounding principle of the religion than to simply state your belief in God’s …show more content…
To have believed that Jesus was God and then to see your savior crucified would have been tragic. Thus, Christians had to give reason to their savior’s death, and painted the event as a sacrifice for human sin. Consequently, what should have been an end to this religion was pushed forward through cognitive dissonance.
Overall Nietzsche is right in his assessment of Christianity as a confused and illogical religion. Although I have a hard time taking much of what is said in the Anti-Christ seriously. If anything, most of the ideas Nietzsche conveys here are interesting musses that may contain some truth, but the majority seem unjustified. That isn’t to say they are not possible truths rather they are simply not plausible