59 When Friedrich Nietzsche famously declared the “God is dead” skepticism, rationalism reached a pinnacle. Nietzsche’s statement expressed the belief that the conventional Christian understanding of God was no longer applicable in contemporary reality. He believed the Church was an organization that stifled human potential. People should be allowed to follow their own creative paths without being constrained by religious doctrine.58 Conclusion René Descartes’ intellectual advancements unintentionally created the foundation for contemporary atheism despite his intention to reconcile reason and faith. By elevating logical inquiry above religious authority and emphasizing human reason, his methodical skepticism and attention encouraged subsequent intellectuals to question conventional ideas. Due to Descartes’ dualism and mechanical understanding of nature, which implied a self-sustaining cosmos that downplayed divine intervention, the notion of the soul was further rejected and materialist viewpoints gained favor. As the concepts of Enlightenment philosophy developed, they encouraged a greater distancing of reason from religion, which helped contemporary atheism gain traction as thinkers started to question God’s existence. Descartes left behind a legacy of skepticism and faith that interacted sophisticatedly to change the intellectual landscape and allow atheistic inquiry to flourish. 58 Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science, cited in Walter Kaufmann, Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist, 2nd ed. (New York: Meridian Books, 1956), 81.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ0MTI=