The Science of Philosophy

M — Nietzsche Part 1: "God is Dead"

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What does Friedrick Nietzsche's famous declaration that "God is dead" actually mean? Is his claim vindicated by science? Why should we even care? This episode explores these topics and others such as where Jordan Peterson and the New Atheists go wrong in interpreting Nietzsche, David Foster Wallace's claim that we all worship something whether we're aware of it or not, and my own cast of characters grappling with real-life problems related to these questions.


Some Sources/Further Reading:

  • The Portable Nietzsche translated by Walter Kaufmann
  • Basic Writings of Nietzsche translated by Walter Kaufmann
  • From Rationalism to Existentialism: The Existentialists and Their Nineteenth-century Backgrounds by Robert C. Solomon
  • Existentialism  by Robert C. Solomon
  • Nietzsche, A Very Short Introduction by Michael Tanner
  • This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life by David Foster Wallace
  • Is God Dead? No, but belief has declined slightly by David Masci and Gregory A. Smith
  • Religious Landscape Study: Belief in God by Pew Research Center
  • Religious Landscape Study: Views about human evolution by Pew Research Center
  • Few Americans turn to religious leaders for advice when making major life decisions by Pew Research Center
  • Religious Landscape Study: Importance of religion in one's life by Pew Research Center

    • Tarek Zaher is a PhD student studying political philosophy. You can find him on Twitter @Zaher_Tarek

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