Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche's work figures prominently in Lincoln's account of escaping nihilism and affirming creative transformation of the self and society. Articles on this site discuss Thus Spake Zarathustra, eternal recurrence, self-overcoming, and tensions between pity and pride in human aspiration. Lincoln credits Nietzsche with helping him recover meaning while diverging from antireligious readings that would foreclose postsecular faith. The topic lists articles relevant to philosophical engagement with Nietzsche in relation to Transhumanism and theosis.
This is a list of articles that Lincoln Cannon has written about or related to Friedrich Nietzsche. A full archive of all articles that Lincoln has published since 2005 is also available. You may also search for articles and other content that's available on any of Lincoln's websites.
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Most Theologians Misunderstand Theosis
Most theologians misunderstand theosis. They insist on a perpetual distinction that the doctrine doesn’t entail, and that undermines its potency. Humanity shall not remain ontologically distinct from the Creator, except insofar as ontological distinctions persist within the Creator. Some would respond that theosis, as generally expressed in Christian tradition, doesn’t ... -
Thus Spake Zarathustra Illustrated Edition
It is time! It is the highest time! Today, at noontide on the summer solstice, I am thrilled to announce that I have published an extraordinary illustrated edition of Thus Spake Zarathustra, a philosophical novel by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche’s philosophy is among the most provocative in history. He ... -
No Pity for Nietzsche
If Christianity is the religion of pity then Nietzsche was right about it. But too many persons, including both Nietzsche and Christians, interpret the relation between Christian religion and Nietzschean philosophy too uncharitably. A case in point, recently, is an interpretation suggested by Dan Peterson, a fellow Mormon. To frame ... -
Mormon Projections on Superintelligent Communities
Transhumanists, at least the more far-sighted among us, imagine the possibility that humanity will evolve into superintelligent capacities, indefinitely long lives, ethical and esthetic sensibilities that we cannot presently imagine, and perhaps even minds whose thoughts constitute nothing less than the creation of new worlds. But perhaps we don’t often ... -
A Vision for Mormon Transhumanism
I envision the role of Mormon Transhumanism in context of an analogy. Two thousand five hundred years ago, humanity was evolving into a new way of thinking. It was expressed in part by transition away from polytheism. Zarathustra’s teachings had spread throughout most of the civilized world. And the Persian ... -
Potential Is Origin in Religious Transhumanism
This is a transcript of a sermon I gave at the Unitarian Universalist Society of South Valley in Salt Lake City this morning. My friend and fellow religious Transhumanist, Jordan Roberts, invited me to speak on religious Transhumanism and the New God Argument. The congregation was friendly, the music and ... -
Who wrote the Bible? Who is writing the next one?
As I think about the future of humanity and the forces that shape our ongoing evolution, I’m often drawn to reflect on the origins of Judaism, and particularly the origins of the Bible. A couple thousand years ago, they gave birth to Christianity, which became the most influential cultural force ... -
68 Meditations on the God Who Weeps
I recently read and enjoyed The God Who Weeps. It was co-authored by Fiona and Terryl Givens, wife and husband, and Mormon scholars. I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with Terryl on a few occasions. The most notable occasions were when he was a keynote at two conferences co-sponsored by ... -
The Altruist God of an Egoist Atheist
Think of an egoist atheist. What comes to mind? Here’s what doesn’t come to mind: trust in an altruistic god-like extraterrestrial. That, however, is only because you don’t know this egoist atheist: Forbidden Truth (“FT”). Now, some will think that I’m intending “egoist” as an external judgment or insult, but ... -
Post-Secularism and the Resurrecting God
God is dead, proclaimed Nietzsche. He was right and wrong. Following their God, traditional forms of religion have been dying, particularly in many technologically advanced, specialized, and prosperous countries. Consequently, many have embraced the secularization hypothesis: religion itself is dying. That hypothesis, however, now embraced less by experts than by ... -
Music and Speech Are Based on Human Biology
No surprise to learn that neuroscientists at Duke University have found evidence that popular music can be predicted based on harmonics characteristic of human speech. Of course, the link between anatomy and esthetics goes far deeper than this. We are our esthetics, radiating from the structures and patterns of our ... -
Eternal Recurrence of Our Children
Adam Greenwood at Times and Seasons speculates regarding Millennial children. He wonders whether we might have future opportunities to raise new children or experience again the raising of our current children. Among Mormon Transhumanists, we see parallels between the Millennium and the Technological Singularity. The Singularity is a hypothetical period ...