One of Nietzsche’s keen observations has to do with human suffering. In the Genealogy of Morals, Nietzsche points out that whenever we suffer, no matter how alone we feel, there is a deep suspicion that someone is witnessing our pain. This witness, says Nietzsche, allows us to escape the unacceptable idea that our suffering is senseless and meaningless.
Why do people believe religious ideas? Nietzsche says that belief in God is a fabricated, but simple solution to a variety of complex questions and human desires. The meaning of life, the greater good of suffering, the grounding of morality, the existence of an afterlife, the definition of justice––all of these things are constructs which depend on the belief in God. Nietzsche recognizes Christianity’s utility, but believes the time has come to cast it aside in favor of self generated values and morality. His observations and conclusions about Christianity’s function range from the individual to the nation, from mass-shooters to world leaders.
Is there such a thing as right and wrong, or is morality a fabrication of social and evolutionary design? Enlightenment thinkers, such as Hobbes and Rousseau, believed that morality is a social construct. Contemporary atheist philosophers, like Paul Kurtz and Michael Ruse, are convinced that evolutionary biology is responsible for a sense of morality. Judeo-Christian thinkers throughout millennia have said that moral laws require a moral law giver. And Friedrich Nietzsche dismisses the entire conversation, arguing that all morals are illusory constraints adopted by weak willed peons.
Dostoyevsky said that without God, nihilism will reign, and so we must return to classical Christianity. Nietzsche said without God, nihilism will reign, and so we must create our own values. Carl Jung said that values seem to be built into our consciences, and we must reach into our mythological roots to discover meaning. Jordan Peterson, like his intellectual predecessors, offers the next stepping stone for the future of Western philosophy, which is an answer to existentialism and postmodernism.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) is one of the most radical, untamed and influential philosophers of all time. Often categorized as an Existentialist, Nietzsche is remembered for his blistering and unapologetic denouncement of religion, especially Christianity. Nietzsche declared that “God is dead” and spent a large portion of his intellectual efforts demolishing the remnants of Christianity’s influence, including the moral framework established by two thousand years of cultural dominance. Genealogy of Morals is one of his last works, and seeks to expose the sinister roots of Christian ethics, explore the true rise of morality among humans, and predict the inevitable collapse of society into nihilism until a “Superman” will lead humanity to greater heights.
In one captivating, emblematic scene in War and Peace, Tolstoy embodies every ideal to which Well Read Christian aspires. Two childhood friends are reunited after several years to discover they have grown into very different people, with very different views of life. Andrei is skeptical and cynical, rejecting belief in God, objective meaning to the universe or objective morality. Pierre is idealistic, religious, perhaps naive, but filled with purpose and a reason to live honorably. The conversation that ensues is exactly the kind we hope to encourage and facilitate in our podcast and blog. From the porch to the river, under a sunset and then the night sky, these two characters engage in a respectful, passionate and intellectual conversation, with mutual respect, admiration and love. This is the goal of Well Read Christian, captured in beautiful and iconic prose.