Beyond the Death of God and the Birth of Homo-Deus: a Call for Universal Values

Abstract

Abstract A major development in world history was witnessed in the 1980s, as anticipated by Friedrich Nietzsche in the nineteenth century; viz. the death of God and the rise of Ubermensch [Superman]. This new version of being human, Homo-Deus, is a product of globalisation relentlessly imposed through our current age of electronic communications. The internet has become of a crucible where Homo-Deus’ isolated, subjective a-moral values are imposed, absorbed by a boundless society through the influence of anonymous repetitions performed in isolation, and thus the world wide web creates a-moral and uncritical modes of life, embraced by everyone without any reflective vetting process. Without location in any cultural heritage, and no identity with any community, the anonymity of Homo-Deus leaves every individual aimless and without a cogent, collectively approved set of values to guide their social interactions. The Superman needs to be redirected morally, in order to pre-empt the emergence of a totally chaotic society.