Friedrich Nietzsche's 'The Genealogy Of Morals'

749 Words3 Pages

The human condition encompasses negative and positive aspects of being a human, but some do not realize that the positives and negatives come intertwined. One cannot speak of a single aspect without involving the rest. Three aspects of the human condition include conflict, growth and death. Surprisingly they go hand in hand. Choice makes us human. In “The Genealogy of Morals” Friedrich Nietzsche makes an interesting point when he attempts to explain why we use God as a coping mechanism. “Then this guilt-ridden man seized upon religion in order to exacerbate his self-torment to the utmost.” We, humans, stand below God, but above animals that way we can blame our animal-like instincts for our mistakes instead of ourselves. However, at some point …show more content…

Schultz used the main character, Charlie Brown, to indirectly teach his audience that one should see the good in someone no matter what. In one of the strips, Lucy keeps tricking Charlie into making a fool of himself. You would think that he would learn his lesson but he does not. Good natured and full of forgiveness, Charlie, falls for the same trick over and over. Instead of focusing on all the wrongs someone has done in their life, why don’t we focus on the good that a person has in them? Schultz, however, used more than just Charlie to teach his message. In “Charlie Brown Christmas” we see that Linus spends nearly all of his time carrying his blanket. One could consider that his security blanket. When asked if anyone knew the true meaning of Christmas, Linus spoke up also dropping his blanket. “Fear not for behold, I give you tidings of great joy which should be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior who is Christ the Lord.” Subtly, Linus drops his blanket around the exact same he says “Fear not”. This subtle movement shows us the growth of Linus in the fact that he realizes he does not need his blanket, instead he needs God. Linus’ childlike faith could be a direct comparison to Schultz himself. Spiritual growth provides us with all the tools to become a better and more genuine …show more content…

In “The Examined Life” written by Cornel West, he says that “By death what he means is not an event, but a death in life.” An example of a death in life would be graduating high school. As one can see this has nothing to do with actual death, but rather the passing on of one stage in life to the next. Like a butterfly going through metamorphosis, we all become more beautiful and complex after the passing of each stage. West also said that “Because there’s no rebirth, no change, there’s no transformation without death.” When we die we do not get reincarnated nor do we get a second chance, so in order to transform in life, we must die multiple times over. “So the truth talk goes hand in hand with talk about the way to truth. “ As a human, we should strive for the truth, and in doing so, we will die multiple times over prompting the hatching of our