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Eastern, postmodern and 20th century philosophies
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University Examinations - May/June exam 2020RST 3708
Analysing Philosophy of Religion
Duration: 48 hours
100 marks
SECTION A: POSTMODERN AND 20TH CENTURY PHILOSOPHIES OF RELIGION
This question is COMPULSORY.
SECTION A
Question 1:
Discuss similarities and differences in the postmodernist and twentieth century philosophies
of Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, Foucault, Arendt, and Russell as they relate to the concept
of god/God. For example, you may want to compare Nietzsche and Heidegger’s views of
God, those of Sartre and Foucault, and the ideas of Arendt and Russell in this regard.
Answer:
Nietzsche and Heidegger
Nietzsche, an atheist, made his sentiment about God very well known by his phrase: God is
dead. Nietzsche’s phrase was misinterpreted as he did not mean that God is actually dead
but rather that our idea of God was dead. He believed that with human beings following so
much of the laws of others, following so much into science and technology, trying the whole
time to understand the world as best as they wanted to, they killed God (Hendrikcs, 2016).
Heidegger on the other hand stated that God is a presence, the ultimate ground of being.
One reaches the closest to God when they reach the stage of divinity. Heidegger who
prophesised holy atheism, used the term onto-theology which expressed the idea that God
and being was thought of as being the same thing. He characterises the holy as the
essential sphere of divinity which in turn alone will afford a dimension for a God.
Nietzsche believed that with people starting to emphasise on new ideas, it could take away
all human value and possibly bring out the worst in human beings as they would find
themselves always trying to better the system. He also said that people would start to lose
their core values along with their life’s meaning. People started to realise that not everything
revolved around them, so even if there was a belief in a God, people started to become
pessimistic hence leading to a life or a world in which they felt nothing. Heidegger on the
, other hand implies that the term God is meaningless for most people, which included people
who use it religiously. He makes mention that non-theological options have replaced God as
the center of value and meaning. Nietzsche said that it is not impossible for people to
change and if people start to believe and create their own values, it will inevitably allow them
to tap into their own consciousness.
Nietzsche went on to say that even though people got more and more educated, they
tended to have less and less belief in God. Nietzsche predicted Nihilism (absence of all
values), he stated that people undermine their current values and beliefs and cannot think of
putting anything with value in their place. Even if a person says they belong to a religion, it
does not mean that they have any value.
Nietzsche implied in a passage in The Mad Man: should we not become God in order to
become worthy of this deed (Polka, 2015:153) Whilst Nietzsche felt this way, Heidegger
criticised metaphysics as the thinking lead to a deity that is not scared, mysterious or worthy
of faith. Dasein (the presence) gave the impression of Being as a being, the all highest as a
ground that gives grounding to everything. He states that nobody can pray or sacrifice to
this God, neither can they fall to their knees in joy, dance or play music. Heidegger criticized
Nietzsche for his metaphysical nihilism, whilst Nietzsche argues that the world has no
objective order or structure aside from what we give to it. Heidegger argues the will to power
is in everything. Nietzsche’s philosophy embedded aspects like there is no truth and that
everything is allowed whereas Heidegger believed that God is a presence and only God can
save us, so how can there be no truth.
When a person loses an external authority, they seem to lose all basis of value in their lives,
hence attaining no ultimate value. Nietzsche states that people who perceive themselves as
strong, can overcome Nihilism by imposing their own values and give their lives meaning.
Every drive one has does have value. Similarly Heidegger states God is basically in all our
thoughts, our conscience and portrayed in our everyday lives in the way we conduct
ourselves and in the way we live. Nietzsche also makes mention that God has given us
ultimate value, but we lost God. One needs to find harmony within themselves. Whereas
Heidegger makes mention that the divine should not be approached as an object of inquiry
but experienced as a withdrawn presence, an absence hence as a mystery. Heidegger just
like Nietzsche criticised western philosophy and theology. Thus where Nietzsche states
‘God is Dead’, it is in accord to Heidegger stating ‘Theology’.
Sartre and Foucault
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