The madman's proclamation that "god is dead" refers to the fact that1. he has found incontrovertible proof that god never really existed in the first place2. god has temporarily withdrawn himself from the world, only to return at the end of time3. people have ceased to believe in god4. none of the above

3

Explanation:

This was formulated by a German philosopher named Friedrich Nietzsche. He used the phrase to conclude on the effects and consequence which the intellectual and philosophical movement known as "Age of Enlightenment" (or just Enlightenment) had had on the centrality of the concept of God's existence in the civilization of Western Europe. The madman passage was addressed to people who did not believe in the existence of God to tackle the problem of making sure a system of values remains in place in the absence of divine order. The conclusion of the "Death of God" by the enlightenment birthed the motion that human beings could not believe in a divinely ordained moral order anymore.