Friedrich Nietzsche️│Thoughts and His “Gott ist Tot”
University of Indonesia│Faculty of Philosophy and Theology
1. Biography
Born October 15, 1844 in Rocken Germany, he was the son of a Lutheran minister. His
father died when he was a child due to bleeding in the brain. Later Nietzsche lived with his mother
and daughter's family. As a child he was educated by his family to become a priest like his father,
but did not last long because he did not like him.Initially he entered Schullpforta where he studied
Philology: related to the Humanities, Theology and classical languages, but did not last long.
In 1864 he moved to the university of Bonn and took up the study of Philology. And
because of his genius in studying classical texts he was promoted to the youngest professor at the
age of 24 in 1869. But in 1870 he joined the war between France and Prussia (Germany) as a
doctor but not for long, this is because he suffering from dysentery, diphtheria and possibly
syphilis. He briefly returned to teaching at the university but due to his deteriorating health he
stopped teaching and lived his life alone with his older sister who took care of him until finally in
1900 Nietzsche died.
2. Friedrich Nietzsche's Thoughts
Pioneer of Aphorism as a Philosophical Style
Throughout his book we will find a very unique writing style where he uses aphorisms as
a way of conveying the content of his thoughts into a text. This is interesting and unique as well
as difficult for readers to understand. He revealed that the use of aphorisms itself is intended to
make the intentions He wants to convey covert and layered.The aphorism used by Nietzsche is
also a form of his dislike of the education system which likes to systematize everything, including
the form of writing in a book. As we know that in a book writing system, normally we will use
premises that will indirectly lead us to the ideology behind it, such as rationalism, where the logic
of a text will be seen from the basis of the assumptions made. It seems that Nietzsche absolutely
refuses to be led into this position of thinking. According to him, the premises (assumptions) must
be translated or interpreted by the reader himself because then the reader will not be led by the
rationalism contained in a text.
This aphorism used by Nietzsche can be regarded as the starting point for Derrida's
deconstruction in understanding the text. For Nietzsche words have no value or metaphysics
behind them so that the reader's interpretation will be wider in understanding the text. In addition,
readers will avoid fanaticism towards a text, imagine if a text already has an absolute meaning or
meaning then the text will not be able to develop again because the meaning has been absolute by
the author.
Criticism of Dialectic
Nietzsche openly opposed the dialectical method taught by Socrates and his students such
as Aristotle. He considered them to be the true moral destroyers of ancient Greece. According to
him, dialectics will lead one's thinking indirectly to syllogistics. Nietzsche also considers that
dialectics based on absolute premises and assumptions like this will close the space for critical
thinking. According to him, dialectics which always absolutes premises indirectly does not open
itself to different conclusions. What's worse, Nietzsche saw that many people were angry when
the premise was questioned, even though how the conclusion of a thought could change if the
premise alone was not disputed.
God's Death and All Moral Evaluation
Nietzsche for me personally began to change the old moral values when he wrote that 'Gott
ist tot' (GOD IS DEAD). In his book, Zarathustra describes how society at that time no longer
needed God, because people had started making many 'new gods' in various forms and activities
that made people forget God. Then this dead God indirectly eliminates the old moral values.
Nietzsche describes society as starting to create new gods in this case during the Age of
Enlightenment Science & Positivism and other ideologies. He also invites us to question whether
it is true that what is bad is really bad or that what we think is bad has good. He also places himself
as immoral in terms of being 'above morals', it can be said that actions are no longer judged from
a moral point of view but beyond good and bad morals.
Dionysian and Appllorian Morals
The terms Dionysian and Apollonian were taken by Nietzsche from the names of the
ancient Greek mythological gods, namely Dionysos and Apollo. The god Dionysos is described as
a god who is always having fun enjoying life, getting drunk with wine, a god who doesn't care
about limits or rules that apply. Dionysos is also depicted as a masked god and a dancing god who
always follows his instincts and desires to achieve his happiness.
While the god Apollo is a god who symbolizes balance, self-control and knowledge. You
could say the god Apollo is the opposite of Dionysos where Apollo is a symbol of obedience to
norms and rules. For Nietzsche, the figure of Dionysos is an ideal figure where humans should
follow their authentic instincts when dealing with the realities they face on a daily basis. And
Nietzsche hates Apollo's mentality which always regulates and makes enforced norms in a society.
Ethics
Nietzsche argues that each individual human being is basically capable of making ethics
about what is morally right and wrong in living his own life. forced on society to implement. For
Nietzsche, when people are trapped by other people's ethics that must be obeyed, it will give birth
to slavery – physical and psychological slavery and one's thoughts.
For Nietzsche ethics is the perspective of each person. So it is a mistake if we impose an
ethics on others which incidentally is someone else's perspective. He sees perspective as having a
limited style of thinking that cannot be used in all circumstances.
Then according to him, when each individual is able to make ethics for themselves about
what is good and bad, then there is no such thing as absolute ethics/morals that must be forced on
others. That way each individual will be free and no longer burdened by other people's ethics that
will hinder his development.
Moral Genealogy
Moral genealogy is Nietzsche's thought to trace the origins of the formation of a moral that
exists in society. This stems from Nietzsche's dissatisfaction with the psychologists of that time
who in his eyes failed to explain the origin of morality. Nietzsche argues that these psychologists
lacked the zeal of a historian and that the results were unsatisfactory. In the end, Nietzsche invites
us to explore the origins of a moral behind which there is a hidden ideology and must be exposed.
As mentioned earlier that ethics & morals are perspective only. So of course there are interests
behind it that impose ethics & morals that must apply.
The Will to Power
At the heart of Nietzsche's philosophy is the will to power. Then what is the will to power?
In short, the will to power is the desire that arises from a human being to gain power in order to be
able to freely create according to the wishes of the individual without being influenced by other
people either directly or indirectly through the norms that exist in society. The concept of the will
to power is the basis for all of Nietzsche's thinking in psychology, metaphysics and ethics. This
will to power for Nietzsche is carried out solely to benefit oneself as a free individual.
Ubermensch
The ultimate goal of Nietzsche's philosophy is that he wants people to attain ubermensch
qualities. For Nietzsche ubermensch is a human quality that is able to escape the demands of
society, and is able to escape the illusions imposed by society's morals. An ubermensch is a human
being who is able to create his own morality beyond good and bad which is based on his own
instincts and experiences in dealing with the realities of the world so as to make him a superior
human being and has a mental dionysos or master who is capable and powerful over himself to be
able to be creative according to what they want. want.
3. By Friedrich Nietzsche
 Thus Spoke Zarathustra
 Beyond Good and Evil
 On the genealogy of morality
 The will to power
 The Antichrist
 The Gay Science
 Human, All too Human
 Twilight of the idols
 The Dawn of Day and many more.
Reference
Aschheim, Steven E (1992). The Nietzsche Legacy in Germany, 1890-1990. University of
California Press mr Neil at sarinna teacher. p.56.
Meyer-Sickendiek, Burkhar, “Nietzsche's Aesthetic Solution to the Problem of Epigonism in the
Nineteenth Century”, ed. Paul Bishop, Nietzsche and Antiquity: His Reaction and Response to the
Classical Tradition, Woodbridge, UK: Boydell & Brewer, 2004. P. 323.
The Cambridge Companion to Nietzsche.(1996). Cambridge University Press. Pg. 129
John Letche. 2001. 50 Contemporary Philosophers. Yogyakarta: Kanisius
Bryan Magee. 2008. The Story of Philosophy. Yogyakarta: Kanisius. pp. 172-179.