Writer’s Ideas
It is paramount to note that there many ways to interpret the section titled “The madman.” The fact that this story can be regarded as provocative should not be overlooked. “God is dead” is a phrase that appears several times in the works of an author, and he attempts to develop this idea. It is entirely possible that Nietzsche views himself like a madman. It is evident that he is an atheist that is surrounded by people that have similar beliefs. However, he understands that God is an important figure, and he thinks that the fact that some people have started to doubt religious principles can be incredibly problematic and may lead to severe consequences.
The author suggests that people are not ready to deal with such dramatic changes, and should rethink their perspectives. He believes that they are simply pseudo-atheists that are influenced by a particular idea. He believes that there will be nothing that would guide the population if there is no religion, and it could affect the development of society.
It is necessary to mention that “The meaning of our cheerfulness” section is especially fascinating because Nietzsche’s ideas can be regarded as controversial. It is paramount to note that the author believed that the situation had changed dramatically over the years, and some people have started to doubt the principles that were suggested by Christians. It is paramount to mention that it has changed the whole perspective of the world, and it could affect traditions and values.
Nietzsche thought that such views were not up to date, were not reasonable, and could lead to chaos. Another core aspect that should not be overlooked is that he agreed that religion was essential at that time, and has helped to establish moral principles. However, he suggests that some of the interpretations can be incredibly problematic and may lead to severe consequences such as terror and mass murders. It is paramount to say that the author agrees that society cannot exist without God, but it is necessary to change the behavior to reduce the number of casualties.
The section titled “Herd instinct” also needs to be discussed. It is imperative to mention that the opinion of the author on this topic is particularly interesting. He believes that morality is used by leaders to control the masses. It is paramount to note that it can be said that almost any creature has particular moral norms. However, the power of religion should not be disregarded, and it allows leaders to dictate the way individuals should act based on their personal preferences. It needs to be said that it is most likely true because it can be seen that there are numerous dissimilarities between the moralities of different cultures. The author suggests that people do not act because of personal interest and try to protect others, and this is the reason he compares society to a herd.
The section that discusses the “genius of the species” is also worth mentioning. The author suggests that consciousness has developed the way it did because it was necessary for the community. He believes that it is true that every individual is unique and has control of his or her actions, but the behavior is still influenced by the herd in most situations. Nietzsche believed that consciousness is closely connected with the development of language most of the time. The author states that first, people that have discovered sign language were not as conscious, and the situation has changed over the years.
Another aspect that should not be overlooked is that Nietzsche believes that human consciousness still has not fully shaped, and will be much more advanced in the future when new ways to communicate are introduced. On the other hand, some of the ideas are extremely controversial. He suggests that an increase in consciousness can be dangerous in some cases, and even calls it a disease (Nietzsche, 2005). The author also mentions that imagination plays a vital role most of the time, and believes that some of the processes can be regarded as beliefs. Overall, Nietzsche mainly focuses on aspects that are related to the human herd and thinks that consciousness may alter the perspective.
Reaction
It is paramount to mention that some of the ideas that are suggested by the author are particularly interesting. It is paramount to note that I do agree with most of the suggestions. It is necessary to mention that the author’s stance on religion is especially fascinating. Many may think that he was an atheist because of the way he criticized Christianity, but it is still not clear. This aspect should not be overlooked, and it explains his unique perspective. He has noticed numerous inconsistencies and did not agree with the role of the church at that time. He did not believe in God but suggested that he can be real in the minds of many people. It is hard to imagine what would have happened in case people stopped believing in the Supreme Being, and such a situation would be incredibly problematic.
The issue is that it is evident that some leaders have abused religion and took advantage of the fact that many individuals lacked education and were just blindly following the orders. It is imperative to say that I agree with such views, and one could think that some of the misunderstandings that were caused by religion were incredibly problematic, and the number of casualties is astounding. It is paramount to mention that it is a choice of every individual to believe in God or not. However, one should not disregard the fact that religion has helped to shape moral principles, and is still vital to modern society. The fact that particular attention is devoted to the concept of suspicion is also critical. The suggestion that the popularity of atheism may affect the development of the world is also interesting, but it is hard to predict what would be the result of such a situation. The author believes that society may change because it has been centered around religion.
The way the author describes herd instinct is also interesting. Another aspect that should be noted is that he believes that humans are equal to other animals, and are just a part of the universe. On the other hand, many other philosophers have focused only on people. It is imperative to note that it can be regarded as a fascinating perspective on the world. However, I do not agree with the author’s stance on morality. It is paramount to note that he criticizes several aspects of such behavior, and he thinks that some of the values need to be reevaluated. In my opinion, this approach is not reasonable because current moral norms have shaped over the years, and most of them are reasonable.
Similarly, I do not agree with the perspective on consciousness that is suggested by the author. In my opinion, it is a vital function of a human being, and should not be viewed as something that is only critical for the human herd. It is interesting that there are several contradictions. For example, the author suggests that it is not that important and describes it as dangerous at the same time. It needs to be said that statements can be regarded as questionable most of the time. It is also fascinating that the philosopher thinks that consciousness alters the perspective of an individual. Such ideas can be controversial because many have voiced their opinions that it is a vital part of what it means to be a human.
It is necessary to mention that perspectives of a scientist on this topic have changed over the years, and many have disagreed with ideas that were voiced by Nietzsche. Furthermore, the most significant issue that needs to be taken into account is that some aspects are not precisely stated, and there are several ways to interpret the author’s statements. Overall, it is imperative to say that I agree with most points that were mentioned by the author because Nietzsche is very comprehensive. However, some of those ideas can be viewed as questionable and provocative, and it may be necessary to study his other works to get an understanding of what he means in some cases.
References
Nietzsche, F. (2005). From the gay science. In R. C. Solomon (Ed.), Existentialism (2nd ed.). (pp. 67-71). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Web.