Nietzsche's unpublished essay "On Truth and Lies in an Unmoral Sense" was
regarded by some scholars as a keystone in his thought. He rejects the idea
of universal constants, and claims that what we call "truth" is only "a
mobile army of metaphors, metonyms, and anthropomorphisms. His view is
nothing more than the invention of fixed conventions for merely practical
purposes, especially those of repose, security and consistency."
But, reducing the thinking of Nietzsche to a system dominated by a few
formulas would be superficial and unwise. Every aspect of this thinking
finds its opponent in other one from the same system.
For instance, he is known to hate religion. His most famous statement, "God
is dead", the eruption of an interior drama with its exterior projection -
his burning and chaotic world-should not impose us. The man who fought his
hole life against God does not have the authorization to declare that God
has no importance and that he didn't tae any time at all with thinking
about him. It was perfectly possible for Nietzsche to kill God in his
spirit and his will, but he did not kill the need of God in his soul.
The denial of God in his spirit and the thirst for him in his soul, these
are the two elements that are dominating his philosophy, are giving us the
knot of contrasts that results in the Nietzsche's. The man who wanted to
give mankind "the meaning of earth" didn't have the understanding of
relativity. We can only agree with Gustave Thibon who says in his
"Nietzsche ou le decline de l'esprit" that "Nietzsche is a "pilgrim of the
absolute" who turns his back on God."
Hate of religion' One has to analyze the violent contrasts of his thinking
on this subject. His stand is very complex. He admires the Ancient
Testament and some historical realizations of Catholicism but he shows no
mercy in dissecting the Christian morale and pity in order to find the
secret marks of ...