As philosopher and poet Nietzsche's work is not easily conformable to the traditional schools of thought within philosophy. However, an unmistakableconcern with the role of religion and values penetrates much of his work.Contrary to the tradition before him, Nietzsche launches vicious diatribesagainst Christianity and the dualistic philosophies he finds essentially lifedenying. Despite his early tutelage under the influence of Schopenhauer'sphilosophy, Nietzsche later philosophy indicates a refusal to cast existence asembroiled in pessimism but, instead, as that which should be affirmed, even inthe face of bad fortune. This essay will study in further detail Nietzsche viewof Schopenhauer and Christianity as essentially nihilistic.NihilismThroughout his work Nietzsche makes extensive use of the term nihilism. Intexts from the tradition prior to Nietzsche, the term connotes a necessaryconnection between atheism and the subsequent disbelief in values. It was heldthe atheist regarded the moral norms of society as merely conventional, withoutany justification by rational argument. Furthermore, without a divine authorityprohibiting any immoral conduct, all appeals to morality by authority becomehollow. By the atheists reckoning then, all acts are permissible.With Nietzsche's appearance on the scene, however, arrives the most potentarguments denying the necessary link between atheism and nihilism. It will bedemonstrated that Nietzsche, in fact, will argue it is in the appeal to divineproscriptions that the most virulent nihilism will attain.There is a second sense of nihilism that appears as an outgrowth of the firstthat Nietzsche appeals to in his critique of values. It contends that not onlydoes an active, pious, acknowledgment of a divinity foster nihilism, but also,the disingenuous worship of a deity that has been replaced in the life man byscience, too, breeds a passive nihilism.ChristianityNietzsche conceives the first variety of nihi...
