While the metaphysics of the death of God would be better stated as a metaphor, the insight is telling. Yes, entropy entails that everything eventually dies—even the universe as we know it. Don’t need God for that. Did he influence Freud’s Thanatos? Heidegger’s question, “Why is there something rather than nothing?” Or his obsession with Being? But more to the point, why does the fact that everything eventually dies entail nihilism? Eventually can be a very long time. All things change. Nothing is permanent. Nothing is certain. Nothing is written.
The 2004 book by Scott Adams, "God's Debris", takes a slightly less nihilistic approach to this concept. Although Adams is best known for the Dilbert comic strip - I found his story thoughtful and provocative - and fun and entertaining too. What would you do if you were omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent .... but maybe blow yourself up and see if you reassemble. And God's debris are scattered around us - all the bits and pieces making up ourselves and reality - and probability ....
Framed as fiction and not cast as serious philosophy, nonetheless a good read, even after multiple re-reads over the years.
I’m not sure why at the moment but the nihilist aspect of the Sufis comes to mind. If I recall correctly the deepest adherents of Sufism see themselves as already dead.
While the metaphysics of the death of God would be better stated as a metaphor, the insight is telling. Yes, entropy entails that everything eventually dies—even the universe as we know it. Don’t need God for that. Did he influence Freud’s Thanatos? Heidegger’s question, “Why is there something rather than nothing?” Or his obsession with Being? But more to the point, why does the fact that everything eventually dies entail nihilism? Eventually can be a very long time. All things change. Nothing is permanent. Nothing is certain. Nothing is written.
The 2004 book by Scott Adams, "God's Debris", takes a slightly less nihilistic approach to this concept. Although Adams is best known for the Dilbert comic strip - I found his story thoughtful and provocative - and fun and entertaining too. What would you do if you were omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent .... but maybe blow yourself up and see if you reassemble. And God's debris are scattered around us - all the bits and pieces making up ourselves and reality - and probability ....
Framed as fiction and not cast as serious philosophy, nonetheless a good read, even after multiple re-reads over the years.
gulp
I’m not sure why at the moment but the nihilist aspect of the Sufis comes to mind. If I recall correctly the deepest adherents of Sufism see themselves as already dead.
I knew from an early age that it is infinitely preferable to never have been born in the first place.