Thread: If God is Dead, so is Atheism

Originally Posted by Moonbeam

I had trouble just getting thru your post, so I don't think I could actually get thru the original. I was going with the pop culture version of Nietsche, which is where all my philosophical knowledge comes from.

The basic idea is that once you have come to the conclusion that all forms and labels that you have been taught to apply to the world are contrived by humans and for the most part arbitrary, you can either let go of them but not replace them with anything, living a meaningless existence (the popular view of nihilism that you seem to share) or you can create your own structure of meaning and form that best fits your needs and desires. Its all a matter of recognizing the chaotic nature of reality and either wallowing in chaos or forming it to your will.

Thanks, Xaq. I did know he thought everyone should replace existing values with their own, and then we will all live in harmony or something. (uh-oh, that may not be exactly right, don't yell at me Troubadour).

Originally Posted by mimeticverb

Both the atheist and the theist have fooled themselves into thinking they have discovered a unified meaning behind existence, either god or science.

If Nietsche said that, I think he was wrong. Why does he say: Not believing in god = thinking you have discovered a unified meaning behind existence? I certainly don't think that.

In my opinion, Nietzsche meant with "God is dead" that truth is unknowable. In this sense, indeed, religions and materialists stand on the same ground - for both, ultimate truth is an impossibility.