A short reflection/response to "The Parable of the Madman" (1882) in The Portable Nietzsche.
Enjoy -- and stay curious.
Friedrich Nietzsche introduces a madman that attempts to pursue the “truth” by challenging the public’s conception of God and the immortal trait associated with a divine being.
Though the individuals surrounding the madman “do not believe in God” and initially mock the madman’s assertions, the people submit to preconceived notions that the death of God is not possible (95). In fact, the death of God is compared to the unrealistic act of “[drinking] up the sea” (95). The madman’s nuanced perspectives first encourage the public to differentiate between atheism and nihilism. As noted earlier, the people around the madman do not believe in God, yet by claiming that “all of us are his murderers,” the madman is able to weed out those who simply do not believe in God’s existence but find value in living and those who do not believe in any religious figures due to their pessimistic outlook on life (95). More importantly, the madman’s unconventional opinions influence the public to critically examine all elements of life that they have previously regarded as the truth. For instance, as the public initially believes that the death of God is not possible, they are unable to see themselves as beings capable of killing gods.
In other words, the public is confined to viewing themselves as mortal humans, and the madman attempts to revolutionize the boundaries of humanity’s strength by asking, “must not we ourselves become gods simply to seem worthy of it?” (96). In this regard, the madman promotes perspectivism and does not subscribe to an objective standard of morality.
The responses to the madman’s arguments about God’s death also represent the unsynchronized nature of human comprehension. As the public continues to stand in shock and silence, the madman eventually “[throws] his lantern on the ground” and notes that he has “come too early” (96). Though the madman initially appears to be giving up in hopelessness, he in fact acknowledges that individuals will feel the need to pick up a lantern and search for the truth at different times in their lives. Similar to how “lightning and thunder require time,” the madman also explains that some truth-seeking journeys are time-consuming and may not lead to a final destination while other explorations are relatively shorter (96).
The final question that Nietzsche raises in the passage also deserves careful scrutiny. Despite the supposed death of God and the madman’s efforts to enlighten those around him, Nietzsche highlights the unfortunate fact that God––a respected figure who was deemed most powerful in humanity’s perspective––ultimately becomes nothing more than “tombs and sepulchers” (96). Nietzsche’s observations can be applied to humans themselves, encouraging individuals to consider their legacy and the extent to which their contributions to society are genuinely impactful.
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