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Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols. “I am afraid we are not getting rid of god, because we still use grammar.” P.48
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| fall 2005 |
| Nietzsche does not believe in the existence of god. He wishes to devalue and undermine any belief that humanity has in a revered figure. It is difficult to get rid of the belief in god. One of the reasons for this is due to the use of grammar. In paragraph four of the “Reason of philosophy” chapter Nietzsche discusses cause. He states that people developed the idea of god, because to question the origin of something was to doubt or devalue that thing being questioned. Secondly, “all supreme values… all the supreme concepts…the good, the true, the perfect – all that cannot have become, must therefore be causa sui:” the cause of itself. Nietzsche states that mankind has taken seriously the “brain-sick fancies of morbid cobweb-spinners.” Nietzsche believes that reason has led to the use of the word ego, which then leads to the creation of the concept “thing.” He also believes that being, which is everywhere is now known as the concept “being” due to the conception of an “ego.” Nietzsche references Democritus who invented the atom (Adam). Reason limits humankind to doing things, because they assume that they are less powerful than a revered being. God, although merely a thing to Nietzsche, is capitalized and the word is a noun. He is saying that the words that we use to figuratively speak of “a thing up there” or a “being” have changed over time due to the grammar of our language. “Being” has two meanings. The first meaning is used in the form of a verb and it means: to be, as in: I am being pretentious. The second meaning is used in the form of a noun and it means: figure in the sky, god, a person. Due to grammar, words have changed over time and have taken on new meaning and additional usages. The previously mentioned “being,” which was once solely used as a verb, was adapted and used as a noun. Philosophers, existentialists and the like have used words that for each person meant something different. Nietzsche himself used the word reason differently than Kant did. According to Nietzsche, the error of being is the most persuasive falsity up to his time. He says that the Eleatics: Greek philosophers of Greece, 5th and 6th B.C., which held that the singular and unchangeable “Being” was the only reality and that plurality, change and motion was only illusory. The Eleatics made convincing arguments and assertions that are very persuasive. Language has been used effectively to make convincing arguments and apparently has proven that god does exist. Nietzsche believes that god does not exist, but the belief in god is due to the clever use of the language by people to construe such an idea and then make it seem believable by making word connections and using certain words that make it seem as if the talked about “Idol” itself created the words to be spoken of and about them. Creation stories have an appeal that draws followers in; it makes believers out of people. The "seductive influences of their concept of being" prevents people from doubting the existence of god. This is because the story is a good one and the concept is believable and people like it and want to believe that it is true. |
| Humanities
, Metaphysical
, Philosophy
, Religion
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