ABSTRACT
Nietzsche, who is often accused of being the first nihilist, was arguably the first philosopher who wrote about the human condition as seen from the post-scientific, post-modern perspective. But he does not fall into the trap of secular humanism or nihilism, he does not glorify human self-assertiveness, nor does he ridicule the human search for truth and understanding. Nietzsche’s madman is torn by the tragedy of human presumption and he has great spiritual aspirations. Nietzsche claims that religion is defunct and can no longer save humankind and that with the disappearance of God as the guarantor of our morality, our established values have also become obsolete. In this he goes well beyond Kierkegaard and prefigures the deconstructionist movement. Nietzsche, however, has a far wider vision on the human situation than results from our sceptical era: for him it is not deconstruction we need but reconstruction. If God is no longer there to rely upon, then humankind needs to take over the helm. Nietzsche’s insights into the consequences of our godless society for human psychology are invaluable and largely unexploited. He clearly recognised and resonated with the distress and madness that is likely to result from a loss of meaning and direction, but he also devised his own solutions and ways forward out of this impasse. Some would argue that his manic search for the Übermensch was his attempt to overcome his own weakness and eventual madness.
