A response to nihilism part 1: Introduction by monkeyflute

philosophy · @monkeyflute · Jan 12 '18

A response to nihilism part 1: Introduction

"God is dead! And we have killed him." Friedrich Nietzsche made this bold declaration, through an avatar-in-prose, "The Madman", over 135 years ago. This was a prophetic figure, that (ironically anticipated Nietzsche's own impending madness and also) pointed to the coming moral crisis that many would face when their traditional religious beliefs collided with modern secular values. Collectively we still haven't fully come to terms with the passing of our mythical father figure in the sky. The majority of the world's population still believes in god ( it's estimated that roughly only 7% of the worlds population is atheist or agnostic).

However, the number of non-believers is increasing. The continual march of progress holds no reverence for unsubstantiated claims. The Enlightenment Project has rendered the concept of god moot. Reason has replaced superstition. The divine right of kings was succeeded by democracy.The judeo-christian god (along with all the rest) found his logical conclusion, when neither empiricism nor rationality could justify his existence. The iconoclast of the modern age, Secularism, would strike down any false idols that stood in its way, and in the process left a god-shaped meaning gap in its wake (at least for those who still cling to notions of eternal life or even a life that has any kind of intrinsic cosmic significance).

I grew up believing in god. After 30 years of trying I could no longer suspend my disbelief. The metaphysical cabinet where I'd been filing all of my concerns about things that I didn't want to think about, mainly because they didn't make sense, eventually collapsed under its own weight. Too many unanswered questions lead to (for lack of a better term) my being “red pilled”. Unplugged from the proverbial “Matrix” I encountered the stark reality of our world: this is it. Imagine my disappointment. When your entire framework for what constitutes reality is shattered what’s left to fill the void? Mass consumerism? Humanism? Nihilism? Suicide? This is what I want find out: my very own personal enlightenment project… What is the point of everything and anything? I want to know, Is there a meaning to life?

TBC..

![nietzsche_colour.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmfH6FjFV4Vrohx3dxd3gAWfG41jJqkk6q3CLq5NyHsUV5/nietzsche_colour.png)

source for 7% of the world as non-believers, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_atheism
source for increase in atheist numbers, http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/
Post originally published by me on http://monkeyflute.com/

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@steem-network · Jan 13 '18

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@steemitboard · Jan 9 '20

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