Nietzsche Twilight of the Idols, Essay Example

In Nietzsche’s “Twilight of the Idols”, he sets forth his views on ego, collectivism, utilitarianism, Christianity, capitalisms, aristocratic individualism, the meaning of life and the adoption of goals.  His argument comes from the idea that he saw modern European man as having reached an evolutionary turning point.  He believed that Christianity, and God, had lost its usefulness in the modern era and was being replaced by individualism.  He claims that God was merely a projection that early man created to explain the effect of being.  Nietzsche, in the chapter The Four Great Errors, makes the claim that society tends to create the illusionary concept of being, of God, by confusing cause for effect as they project their ego onto outside subjects.  Instead of a separate God and Man, Nietzsche sees only a unity that is neither inherently good nor bad.  Nietzsche presents a very valid argument, which is evident from the fact that they are still being discussed and debated today, long after his death.

Nietzsche does create a valid argument to support his theories.  His idea that God is merely a projection of the collective human psyche can neither be proven nor disproven due to its nature.  In fact, Nietzsche goes so far to say “There are no mental causes at all.” Reality has taken on the attributes that man has projected into it.  By projecting his ego into the world, the worlds “things” have taken on “being”.  Nietzsche makes the arguement of the impossibility of separating ourselves out of the outside world since all things are one, making us a part of what we see.  Therefore, we can never know if anything we experience as outside of ourselves is a ture fundamental law or if it is a part of the collective projection just responding to the viewer, who is the creator.  Nietzsche questions our entire view of reality as well as what it means to be human.  Instead of putting our faith in God or scientific professionals, Nietzsche calls on all individuals to take back their power when he says “Shall we not ourselves have to become Gods?”

References

Betts, Paul.  “Twilight of the Idols: East German Memory and Material Culture.  The Journal of Modern History 72.3 (2000): 731-765.

Ray, Matthew. “Nietzsche’s Philosophy of Religion. By Julian Young The Shadow of the Anti- Christ: Nietzsche’s Critique of Christianity. By Stephen N. Williams.” Heythrop Journal 50.2 (2009): 346-347.

Zunjic, Bob. “Selections from Twilight of the Gods: An Outline”.  The University of Rhode Island. Web. Retrieved Apr. 11, 2010 from http://www.uri.edu/personal/szunjic/philos/twilight.htm