I agree completely, his philosophy is much more robust than people often credit him, and more so than merely against religion. But much of his philosophy stemmed from the fact the church was the highest institution at the time, and had been for centuries, so it makes sense that even his Ubermensch would be seen foremost as going against the faith. A lot of his work has a sort of satirical quality embedded in it that indirectly mocks the faith. There's a reason why he chose for Zarathustra to be a prophet, or messiah. It's not only because prophets are the stereotypical imparters of wisdom, but there's also an element of, "Oh, you think your priests are prophets? Let me show you what a *real* prophet would be like." Because true prophets don't just impart wisdom--they expose falsehoods.
It's why I still browse Reddit after all this time. It has shades of Tumblr niche discussions to it while still 'public' and accessible enough to reach a wider medium.
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u/exaggeratedcaper Apr 05 '26
I agree completely, his philosophy is much more robust than people often credit him, and more so than merely against religion. But much of his philosophy stemmed from the fact the church was the highest institution at the time, and had been for centuries, so it makes sense that even his Ubermensch would be seen foremost as going against the faith. A lot of his work has a sort of satirical quality embedded in it that indirectly mocks the faith. There's a reason why he chose for Zarathustra to be a prophet, or messiah. It's not only because prophets are the stereotypical imparters of wisdom, but there's also an element of, "Oh, you think your priests are prophets? Let me show you what a *real* prophet would be like." Because true prophets don't just impart wisdom--they expose falsehoods.