Friedrich Nietzsche

10 Pages 2421 Words

Both, Friedrich Nietzsche in his “Thus spoke Zaratuthstra” and Imants Ziedonis in his “Epifanijas” explore the subject of our existence. Nietzsche constantly asks questions, while Ziedonis tries to give answers to the causes of various problems. Both men refer to God, and although Nietzsche denies him, still, it is evident that both men are related by the same spirit that is reflected in their work. Even with some difference in believes exploited, the reader seems to derive the same message from these two works: what is men importance in this world?
Friedrich Nietzsche through out his life believed in nihilism. Thus, the existence of men where God is not involved. This can be clearly seen in the Prologue of his book “Thus spoke Zaratuthstra”, where Zarathustra denies God, “Could it be possible! This old saint in the forest not yet heard of it, that God is dead!” This dilemma is also explored farther more when Zarathustra speaks to a dieing man, "there is nothing of all that whereof thou speakest: there is no devil and no hell. Thy soul will be dead even sooner than thy body; fear, therefore, nothing any more!" Through this conversation it is clear that eternity for Nietzsche also has ceased to exist, hence for him men is the only importance to the world. Nietzsche picks up this idea and explores it further, in the conversation between Zarathustra and the saint, where Zarathustra boldly states, “I love mankind,” hence proves that in his nihilist hierarchy, man is superior to God, for God simply does not exist. By showing this, Nietzsche seems to question himself, for in his book, he often uses allusions to the bible, such as some of Ten Commandments in part five of a Prologue: “Love thy neighbour as thy friend” and “Do not covet for what you do not have”, as well as he also mentions that all men are equal and have same rights and wants as others.
In Ziedonis’s “Epifanijas,” the existence of God is ...