In 1859 Charles Darwin offered a theory that seemed to disprove the longstanding explanation of the origin of existence. Darwin's theory of evolution proposes a convincing argument that the universe was not created for a purpose, with intention, by a conscious God, but rather, was a phenomenon of random change. Friedrich Nietzsche articulated the gravity of the affect of Darwin's theory on society. He said that when Darwin published the theory of evolution people stopped believing in God. Nietzsche wrote that when people stopped believing in God, God died. Nietzsche's assertion pivots on the assumption that God's existence depends solely on human belief. Nietzsche assumes that belief is the greatest power that humans possess, but that this belief could not stand strong against the theory of evolution.
Many people believe that in order for life to be worth living, there must be an overarching purpose to existence, and thus, according to Nietzsche, form illusions for the sake of comfort. By believing in a morality, God, or other higher cause, people get to live their dream that there is ultimate justification for everything. This serves to allow the imposition of an illusion so that one does not have to view the "truth" of the universe. One of these "truths" that Nietzsche proposes people deny is the "death of God". Nietzsche's statement that "God is dead" is intended to imply that there is a more accurate manner of existing now than following traditional doctrine dogmatically simply because it is tradition. Nietzsche believes that the time has passed when mankind "needed" the conception of God and the accompanying moralities, and that a new existence is coming into being. This n ...