John 8:32 (KJV)
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
That doesn’t say “and the truth shall make you happy”. It just says it will make you free. If you are more familiar with Buddhist phrasing, just substitute the word “enlightenment” for “free” – the “truth” is whatever path leads you to enlightenment.
I always thought that the goal was to be free, to be enlightened – like it was a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. You know, happiness. But there are lots of “happy idiots” who aren’t free at all. The Matrix is full of this symbolism – people bound by an illusion, content to stay there. The theme isn’t new (think Socrates and The Cave).
I haven’t read much of the works of the 19th and 20th century philosophers – maybe a smidge of Nietzsche for a freshman English composition course. I mean, they just drone on and on, hiding a couple of grains of interesting stuff in mountains of gibberish that seem more designed to impress you with their intellect than to enlighten.
But I do know Nietzsche said God is dead. I don’t know if he thought God had actually been alive and died, or if he was just referring to a decline in Christianity. I prefer to think of “God is dead” as meaning “you are free”; i.e., you are no longer bound by the fear of losing your soul in some eternal hell, and there aren’t any rules you need to follow to satisfy God. Maybe it’s because you no longer believe God exists, or maybe there’s a God but no afterlife, or perhaps God just doesn’t give a shit about what happens here, or maybe God is more impersonal – like just embodied in the laws of physics. Maybe God does exist, and does care, but there just aren’t any rules at all. Or maybe you think Nietzsche was literally correct and God really died. In any case, you have become “free” of the constraints placed on you by the church and religion – those purveyors of misinformation who require you to set aside logic and compassion, who label blind ignorance, obstinance, and devotion as faith.
And as that thought grows on you, as enlightenment (truth) takes hold, it’s liberating and depressing at the same time. Arriving at the “freedom depot” on this train ride isn’t what you expected. It’s the end of the line, and you have to get off or go back to where you came from. But you’re in the middle of nowhere. There aren’t any signs pointing “this way to pot of gold” or “happiness over here”.
While musing about these things off and on, I came across Ben's (no last name) article that highlighted some interesting bits of Nietzsche’s thoughts on existential nihilism vs existentialism. Whoa – this stuff has a name! Ben summarizes what Nietzsche was saying:
- we used to get our meaning and purpose from the church and God
- but now that “God is dead” (i.e., “you are free”), you may fall into despair since it appears that
- you have no meaning or purpose in the universe
- suffering has no meaning, no purpose
- existence has no meaning
- everything is in vain
This disillusionment is called ‘existential nihilism’.
Wait a minute – I’ve heard this before. And it wasn’t Nietzsche, it was Solomon:
“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” – Eccl 1:1-2 (KJV)
Well, damn. Nietzsche was just channeling Solomon…
At the freedom depot – the end of the line – there’s no pot of gold, no maps or signs pointing the way, no brass band to meet you. Just a note on the depot sign post:
“Congratulations. You are free. Enlightened. Well done. Good luck, you’re on your own. Or you can go back where you came from. No one really cares what you do.”
“And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. … behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.” ‑ Jer 40:4 (KJV)
Swell.
Well, Ben (no last name) goes on to say that Nietzsche believed existential nihilism leads to two possible outcomes:
- Passive nihilism - Futile attempts to reduce suffering by separating yourself from your desires, leading to either deep despair or a re-embracing of a mass movement to find some meaning.
- Active nihilism - actively destroying old, false values and constructing your own subjective beliefs and interpretations of meaning; i.e., decide for yourself what gives your life meaning, and follow where those beliefs lead you.
“While ‘existential nihilism’ deals with the idea that there’s no intrinsic meaning anywhere in the universe, ‘existentialism’ deals with ways to address this.”
Seems the bottom line is freedom/enlightenment is learning that there is no power in the universe that controls your destiny, punishes you, rewards you, saves you, or protects you. You don't have any intrinsic purpose to your life other than what you make of it. So the message is Go on or Go back. Define what’s important to you, or someone else will define it for you.