Comparison of Philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche and the...

Science versus religion has always been a very controversial topic in this world and even more so in the United States. It seems that this topic in some way, shape, form, or fashion always finds its way into ones life through government, jobs, and most certainly in politics. When looking at the lives of two men who embody the two controversial ideals of science and religion one can look at the lives and views of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (views on compassion surrounding religion) and Friedrich Nietzsche (views on Morality as Anti-Nature surrounding science). Dalai Lama through his reading seems to establish the concept that compassion is a guide for ethical behavior, while Nietzsche strives to develop the concept that moral†¦show more content†¦In this selection the Dalai Lama establishes compassion as a feeling similar to that of empathy. Empathy as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary is, identification with and understanding of anothers situation, feelings, a nd motives. In establishing this type of compassion and empathy for our fellow man, then we establish a type of love and intimacy that is similar to one that a mother has for her only child. This compassion that one establishes allows one to enhance their sense of compassion, and in doing so then one develops an intense sense of responsibility toward another suffering in that they help the victim to overcome that suffering and the agent of that suffering. Even so, when we do this then we establish the concept of consciousness and we enter into an ethically wholesome life. If we can begin to relate to others on the basis of such equanimity, our compassion will not depend on the fact that so and so is my husband, my wife, my relative, my friend. Rather, a feeling of closeness toward all others can be developed based on the simple recognition that, just life myself, all wish to be happy and to avoid suffering. In other words, we will start to relate to other on the basis of their sentient nature. Again, we can think of this in terms of an ideal, one which it is immensely difficult to attain. (Dalai Lama 734) This total feeling of compassion, empathy, and an overall feeling of love create the feeling mentioned above. In