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Full Idea
Formerly one tried to get a feel for the majesty of human beings by pointing backward toward their divine descent: this has now become a forbidden path. ...So now the path humanity pursues is proof of its majesty. Alas, this too leads nowhere!
Gist of Idea
Human beings are not majestic, either through divine origins, or through grand aims
Source
Friedrich Nietzsche (Dawn (Daybreak) [1881], 049)
Book Ref
Nietzsche,Friedrich: 'Dawn (Daybreak) (v 5)', ed/tr. Smith, Brittain [Stanford 2011], p.38
A Reaction
I love the breadth of Nietzsche's vision, both across history, and in the great scheme. He goes on to say that we are no more a 'higher order' than ants and earwigs.
| 20243 | Human beings are not majestic, either through divine origins, or through grand aims [Nietzsche] |
| 2893 | In every age the wisest people have judged life to be worthless [Nietzsche] |
| 18308 | A philosopher fails in wisdom if he thinks the value of life is a problem [Nietzsche] |
| 2894 | Value judgements about life can never be true [Nietzsche] |
| 2895 | The value of life cannot be estimated [Nietzsche] |
| 18322 | When we establish values, that is life itself establishing them, through us [Nietzsche] |
| 18321 | To evaluate life one must know it, but also be situated outside of it [Nietzsche] |
| 23748 | The sacred in every human is their expectation of good rather than evil [Weil] |
| 20282 | The sanctity of a human life depends either on being of our species, or on being a person [Singer] |
| 4661 | What matters is not intrinsic value of life or rights, but worthwhile and desired life, and avoidance of pain [Glover] |