Nietzsche39;sArtofSelf-Defense

Godisdead.Godremainsdead.Andwehavekilledhim.Howshallwecomfortourselves,themurderersofallmurderers?Whatwasholiestandmightiestofallthattheworldhasyetownedhasbledtodeathunderourknives:whowillwipethisbloodoffus?Whatwateristhereforustocleanourselves?Whatfestivalsofatonement,whatsacredgamesshallwehavetoinvent?Isnotthegreatnessofthisdeedtoogreatforus?Mustweourselvesnotbecomegodssimplytoappearworthyofit?--Nietzsche,TheGayScienceThefilmstartswithourmartyrwhosenameisCasey.Caseyhasbeencarpenteringforacompanydiligentlyfor10longyearsasasensibleaccountant.Butsinceheisinasurrealisticfilm,hiscoworkersdenyhimofeverything.Heisbiologicallyalivebutdevoidofbeing-in-this-world.Eventhenarratorbullieshimbyexposetoushismostprivatemomentofmusterbation.Heisaslave,livingintheantithesis,thedenialofhisownbeing-aliveness.Unabletoactforhimself,voluntarilydisavowingallofhisownliveliness.Heliveshislifeasifhisalivneessitselfisasinandatorment.Andwhichispossiblyduetoanancestororhisbeingtrickedtobiteafruit.HewascrucifiedbyfourgangstersfromMotorbikeVille.Lifeinstinctkicksin.Resurrectedonahospitalbed.Heisreincarnatedwiththesuperpowerofaffirmation.Immediatelyheaffirmshisownlife.Hewantstobealive.Hewantstoprotecthimself.Hedoesn’tknowhow.Thetellertoldhimahand-gunwilldo.Yes.Theultimatephallicsignifier.Affirmingis,however,noteasy.Hebumpedintoacontenderofhiswillof“toownahandgun”—itwastherulenumber11oftheKarateAcademy—“Gunsarefortheweak.”Heactedlikeanorangeperemptorybady.Hestoppedaffirminghisownlifeandbegantoaffirmthereactivethoughtof“Iamnotweak.”Hefoundhimselfanewpassion.Yes,theKarateAcademywillsavehim.Hisprotagonistsizedlifeinstinctpropelshimforward.Afteronlytwomonthsoftraining,asayellowbelt,hedefeatedhisbrown-beltclassmate.Heisnowceremoniallyarealkarateman.Butanantithesiscannotexistbyitself.Itlogicallypresupposesathesis.Andinourcasethethesisis“Karateisforthestrong”anditinturnpresupposestheKarateAcademy’s(theslogangiver’s)existence.HisyellowbeltisanamuletsignifyingtheAcademy.Itempowershim.Hecannotaffirmhimselfwithoutit.Heneedstheacademicaffirmationtobeaphallic-owningrealman.TheAcademyreelsin,allofthisisbuttheSensei’strap.TheSenseinowdemandsourprotagonisttoservehim.WhateverCaseyfeels,whateverhewills,theSenseioverpowershim.Heisagainbeingbullied.Onlythistimewithblooddrippingdownfromhishand.Heceasestobeaman,heisatoolwilledbySensei.Heeventuallyceasestobeahuman.Thecosttobearealkaratemanistogiveuphisownlife.TheacutememoryoftheMotorbikeVillewokehimup.Hewillsagaintobealive.Hehaslearnedhislesson.UsingapistolhekilledtheSensei,tookoverthemythofthe“indexfingertechnique”whichisthelocalphallicsignifierintheacademyandbecamethecrownedkingofanewdynasty.Thefilmendshere,andNietzschecanonlyguidethisfar.Thereisnoguaranteeofahappilyeverafter.Itx27;suptoCaseytodecidewhattodonext,andwehaveallseenhoweasyitwastofallintoatrap.Oursocietyisaweboftrapsweavedbythosepowerfulbutinsecurepeople.“只能說當超人真的好難”saidJay.Epilogue:NietzschetheNihilist.Nihilist,noun,“apersonwhobelievesthatlifeismeaninglessandrejectsallreligiousandmoralprinciples.”Thiscannotbeanyfurtherfromthetruth.The“nihilism”ofNietzscheisatwo-foldformation.Atitsverycoreitaradicalaffirmationofone’sownlife,ofone’sownvitality,andofone’sownwilltocreatepersonalvaluesandtolivebythosevalues.Itisincomparisontothisstrongerinnerwilltolivethattheoutsidelawsseemafloat,hencecanberejected.Thisfilmisanexcellentdemonstrationofthedestructivepotentialoflettingasocialconstructtotakepriorpositionoverone’sownexistence(Crusade,Fascism,Isis,tonameafewinreallife).Andbecauseofthisrejectionofalloutsideinfluences,thisrejectionofallfundamentallawthatcanbeusedtojudgeone’slife,one’slifeisthenreciprocallysaidtobe“meaningless.”Thephrase“Godisdead”shouldbefollowedby“longlivethegodswithin.”