- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
I don't know how many of you out there recognise the name Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, let alone hold some knowledge on the man. I was briefly reading over his page on wikipedia, when I stumbled upon an interesting tidbit that instantly reminded me of Halo.
The phrase "God Is Dead" first appears in The -blam!- Science, section 108 (New Struggles), in section 125 (The Madman), and for a third time in section 343 (The Meaning of our Cheerfulness). It is also found in Nietzsche's classic work Also sprach Zarathustra, which is most responsible for popularizing the phrase. The idea is stated by 'The Madman' as follows:
God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we, murderers of all murderers, console ourselves? That which was the holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet possessed has bled to death under our knives. Who will wipe this blood off us? With what water could we purify ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we need to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we not ourselves become gods simply to be worthy of it?
I found it interesting that the third time it is mentioned is in section 343, which happens to be named "The Meaning of our Cheerfulness"...Both bring to mind Guilty Spark. I don't personally feel up to posting all the ways I think it could tie in with the series, because frankly, anything can be tied in with enough diligence, but I will say this:
Perhaps the Monitors, in some way or another, brought about the end of their Creators, the Forerunners. Whether through action or non-action on their behalf, I thought it could be an interesting, grim and surprising twist in the Halo universe.
Who knows? I welcome any comments. It could be wrong, it could be right, but I do feel strongly that Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche could have played a role in influencing the game, whether on the same level as William Blake or not.