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Nietzsche's Impact On Society

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Nietzsche characterised ‘nihilism’ as hostility to life and nature; a kind of rejection of the world as it is given to us. Discuss the relevance of this insight for the contemporary world, in particular the influence of science and technology on concrete, day to day existence.
Hostility to life and nature is becoming increasingly visible as globalisation and technology make the world a more interconnected and unified global society. In this essay the author will discuss the relevance of nihilism in a contemporary world and its impact on society itself. The author will give particular reference to the impact of technology and science on art and as a result- society. The rise of science and technology, as well as its contribution to today’s society, and its role in enhancing nihilist thinking will also be discussed. Additionally, the author will mention the post …show more content…

Science has provided alternative answers for questions previously only answered through the belief in a higher power of some kind. Since Nietzsche’s time there have been even more advancements in the field of medicine and modern science which have permanently altered human nature and the spiritual framework which once dominated society. “With the demise of traditional values, the world seems to have lost value, seems meaningless” (Hatab, 1987,p.96). As society continues down this path of secularization, the relevance of science in our day to day lives only continues to grow. Science has removed the value system in place before it, and in a misguided attempt to replace the meaning in their lives people are becoming more and more nihilistic. A hostility towards life and nature is now a value system in and of itself as it provides individuals with certain morals, or lack thereof, which allow them to succeed in an equally nihilistic

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Entwistle makes a case that this is not entirely true, based upon the fact that the church and the scientific world have both been considered viable sources of knowledge throughout history and have borrowed from one another often (Entwislte, 2015). In one way or another, the church community has always influenced science, and vice versa. Therefore, in the second section of the book, Entwistle discusses in depth the historical interaction between “sacred” knowledge and “secular” knowledge with references to the struggles between the academic and church community over theories and beliefs about our world (Entwistle). He also compares moments throughout history where Psychology and Christianity were at odds with each other, as well as the times when they worked in harmony. It is pointed out that though there have been harsh proponents of religion being a hindrance to scientific progress, Christianity has played a huge part in the development of science

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Some think of science as advantageous, while others believe it can be immoral. Acts of science can lead to manipulation of the natural world and cause those performing the experiments to “play God.” Nathaniel Hawthorne 's short stories “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment,” “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” and “The Birthmark” each incorporate characters that attempt to alter a natural aspect of life and in turn are met with failure. It is through his short stories that Nathaniel Hawthorne reveals opinion of science: Men should not engage in scientific studies that require them to act as God.

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