Nietzsche, I suppose, meant to shock a herd-like humanity out of somnambulance when he stridently pronounced the death of God toward the end of the 19th century. Hyperbole, it may be noted, was one of the philosopher’s strong suits. But Nietzsche’s truer message to those within hearing distance was that we up-and-coming mortals could do better—both in our conceptions of divinity and in becoming more nearly our higher selves. There are dei-ties (and, no doubt, daemons) within us that the architects of platforms and systems, be they political or religious, tend not to sufficiently fathom or see. Integrating myriad inward elements while embracing the radical complexities without, we might plausibly improve both ourselves and conjoined mortal lot. As we take stock of where we and the world precariously stand, it is imperative that we try.
Read the full article (PDF, 432KB)opens in new window from Edward Mendelowitz, PhD.