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This 1954 lecture transcript (edited by Alexander Bazelow) by Heinrich Blücher continues his analysis of Zarathustra as a decisive turning point between Asiatic and Western conceptions of free mind, reason, and human freedom. Blücher contrasts Zarathustra’s thought with that of Buddha and Lao-Tze, arguing that while all three break with mythological thinking, Zarathustra uniquely articulates a philosophical concept of divinity that establishes clear limits to human reason. Zarathustra’s conception of Ahura-Mazda—understood not as a personal or mythological god but as the abstract “Well-Thinking One”—serves to preserve human freedom by distinguishing absolutely between Creator and creation, thereby preventing both mythological fusion and modern forms of boundless rationalism.
The lecture explores Zarathustra’s anticipation of Kant’s critical philosophy, especially the insight that reason requires awareness of its own limits in order to remain free and productive. Blücher interprets Zarathustra’s God as a negative, transcendent symbol that safeguards the space of thinking without collapsing into metaphysics, ritual, or ideology. He further clarifies Zarathustra’s misunderstood views on good and evil, rejecting later dualistic interpretations and emphasizing instead the relative concepts of “the better” and “the bad” as expressions of human creative responsibility. Central to the lecture is Zarathustra’s notion of free will and man’s unprecedented task: to take responsibility for creation itself. Blücher presents this idea as one of the most radical concepts in philosophical history—human freedom achieved through responsibility for being, the shaping of meaning, and the creation of a world rather than the conquest of one.
Publication Date
1954
Recommended Citation
Blücher, Heinrich, "09-IX. Zarathustra (1954)" (1954). Bazelow Transcripts. 9.
https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/blucher-bazelow-transcripts/9