Friedrich Nietzsche: How a Single Misunderstood Statement Transformed the Legacy of a Great Philosopher

It is the winter of 1881. The cogs in the mind of the visionary Nietzsche are hard at work, crafting his 5th publication, “The Gay Science”. He has lived alone at his abode in the Swiss Alps, ever since he left his position as a professor at the University of Basel.

It is often said that great minds prefer solitude over the company of others. Nietzsche was one such, preferring a nomadic lifestyle over the company of his ultra-conservative mother and sister. Travelling frequently throughout Switzerland, Italy, and France, he found solitude conducive to his thinking and writing.

Some would claim, rather insensitively, that “a person who thinks all the time has nothing to think about except thoughts”. This was not true of genius like Nietzsche’s, as some of his best work came during these periods of solitary thinking.

It is during this period that he comes up with (dare I say) one of the most infamous quotes the vast field of philosophy has ever seen. In what could be described as nothing short of divine inspiration, he puts pen to paper and writes out three words that will have unimaginable ramifications for both his legacy and that of contemporary philosophy.

“ God is dead ”.

These three words transformed Nietzsche into an idol for Nihilists around the world, prompting comparisons with Schopenhauer, when the sad truth was that Nietzsche was one of the most vocal advocates against Nihilism.

In a sense, Nietzsche’s isolation came back to haunt him. There was no one who had discussed with him his works, and therefore no one who could interpret it for the masses.

Worse still was the desecration committed by his own sister, who morphed his views into propaganda for the Nazi regime. She even went so far as to gift the legendary philosopher’s walking stick to the then Fuhrer, and proclaim Nietzsche’s work as the precursor to Nazi ideology.

All the above led to misinterpretation of him as a Nihilist, and even worse, a Nazi sympathiser. But what really were Nietzsche’s philosophical outlooks?

To start off, one of the biggest mistakes that Nihilists make when bringing up Nietzsche is to make the “God is dead” line in isolation, when the full quote provides great insight into his thoughts.

The full quote is as follows :

“God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?”

The key to understanding the quote lies in not taking Nietzsche’s works at face value, but rather trying to understand them from his perspective.

Nietzsche is not saying that a deity has literally died. Instead, he is declaring that the belief in God or the influence of moral absolutes has significantly diminished in modern society. This “death” is metaphorical and signifies the end of an era where religion was the central foundation of meaning and values.

The rhetorical question afterwards emphasises the enormity of the act. By abandoning the belief in God, humanity has essentially destroyed its own foundation of comfort and morality. Nietzsche refers to this as the greatest “murder” because it is the ultimate subversion of the ultimate authority.

Here, Nietzsche laments the loss of the most revered and powerful concept humanity has known — God. The imagery of “bleeding to death under our knives” suggests that humanity is responsible for this loss and must deal with the consequences.

He then informs us of the difficulty or impossibility of atoning for this “murder.” Traditional means of purification or redemption (like religious rituals) are no longer effective or relevant in a world without God.

Without God, humanity must create new forms of meaning, rituals, and ways to cope with the existential void left behind. This indicates a need to invent new ways to find purpose and moral grounding.

Nietzsche is questioning whether humanity can handle the immense responsibility that comes with the death of God. If traditional values and meanings are gone, humans must elevate themselves to create new values and meanings, essentially becoming

“gods” themselves to fill the void left by the death of the divine.

Nowhere does Nietzsche promote, or mention Nihilism. But this idea brings us to the next controversial philosophy of his : the Übermensch.

The concept of the Übermensch is central to Nietzsche’s philosophy. It is introduced in his work “Thus Spoke Zarathustra.” The Übermensch is a figure who has transcended the conventional morals and values of society to create their own.

To quote the man himself, ‘I teach you the Übermensch. Man is something that shall be overcome. What have you done to overcome him?’

Nietzsche envisioned the Übermensch as someone who embraces the chaos and challenges of life, using them as a springboard for personal growth and self-overcoming. This individual would not be bound by the herd mentality or traditional dogmas but would instead forge a new path, embodying creativity, strength, and a redefined sense of purpose.

Nietzsche’s Übermensch is often misunderstood as a justification for elitism or tyranny, but in reality, it represents an aspirational goal for humanity.

It is about overcoming our limitations, fears, and dependencies on external validation to achieve a higher state of being. The Übermensch is a symbol of hope and empowerment, encouraging individuals to take responsibility for their own lives and create meaning in a world that may seem devoid of it after the figurative “death of God.”

The legacy of Friedrich Nietzsche has been both celebrated and maligned due to misunderstandings and misappropriations of his work.

Nietzsche was a profound thinker who challenged humanity to transcend the decline of traditional values and create new ones.

His declaration that “God is dead” and his concept of the Übermensch are not calls for despair or elitism but invitations to embrace the freedom and responsibility of self-overcoming.

By reexamining Nietzsche’s true intentions, we can rediscover his work as a source of inspiration and empowerment, urging us to forge our own paths and find meaning in a world that has moved beyond its old certainties.