dimreepr

Every step you take could be your last, that's both the joke and the issue...

Not two ideas, just one: some people struggle with life and need a bit of guidance, to whom do they look for that guidance? Because I think he had a point and you haven't explained why I'm wrong.

I've not been taught philosophy, so I don't know the conventional wisdom as to what he meant by the madman parable, it's just my take on it, as I tried to explain in my tax v tythe analogy. What's your, or the mainstream's, interpretation of the parable?

It doesn't as far as I'm concerned, being an atheist as I've said many many time's; this thread isn't about God, it's about the rationality of religion. Because we are human. We all need a lantern, even on the brightest days. Friedrich Nietzsche, I thought it was obvious. I have. A lot of people are struggling against poverty, I thought that was implied. Sorry it was ill worded title, I'm trying to explore the rationality of religion and it's benefits to humanity, and Fred was famously an atheist who seemed to have struggled with the question of what we replace god with. Sorry, I'm not very articulate/clever.

I don't know what problem's Fred foresaw when we give ourselves agency over our moral decisions, without a backstop; but for me the ever increasing wealth gap is a direct result of no God. It's the difference between a tax and a tythe. A tax you can decide to avoid, if you can't see the benefit to yourself of paying your fair share. A tythe you give happily because Jesus told us to, he understood the benefits for everyone, so even if you have no intention of being benelovent or caring, you give because you'll go to heaven.

Isn't that the point?

Let's not get into a mologistic argument.

That's not a who, that's a how...

Who's definition?

It's well worth a watch and neatly summed by the last speaker.

If you're in a warzone helplessly cowering in a bunker, starving and thirsty, is it irrational to want/hope there's something greater than yourself, to protect you and lead you to happier place? It doesn't matter that it's magic if it works, that goes for anyone who are struggling to live life, the hope that there's better things to come makes the load that little bit lighter. It illustrates the struggle we will face in the absence of God, I think Nietzscher spent the rest of his life trying to think of an alternative to God, he'd be appalled at what Hitler made of his thinking. It wasn't an accusation, it was a question. 😉

Many pathways lead to happiness, Hitler was very confused...

Exactly...

Who is the madman?

Indeed, to believe in it; makes me happy...

To do what? Please explain?

Not the question I'm asking...

Indeed a person, who doesn't believe in that but does believe in this; who's happier? It might be a belief that a greater power, will get him back; so I can live in peace. Is your peace better than mine? Why? What makes you think she cares?

The parable of the madman Is it rational to think I know better, when they're already happy?

You and @beecee describe our yesterday's as ignorant and today as enlightened, as if we know better? Our ignorance of yesterday is no more enlightened than our ignorance of tomorrow...

I don't know, does your's talk to you?

Apathy doesn't mean pathetic, in a world ruled by fear apathy disarms the rulers. Just a turn of phrase, my friend used to say. The point is, apathy when thing's are fine is just a way to 'not give a shit about tomorrow', and tomorrow is where fear breeds; it doesn't mean tomorrow doesn't matter, it means today I'm free of worry.

It's one law for everyone, if you read it right...

I'm not, just asking why...

We could hide from it... If we lie to ourselves.