Nihilism

[Robanan]

I can't keep myself from posting this one anymore: http://www.nihil.org/

[Yothu]

Yes, sounds nice: "Nihilism is beauty."

In essence, there really is nothing, isn't it? Somehow this nothing has unexplainable qualities though.

I know some people who at least thought they were into the philosophy of nihilism - all people who frighten me. They fit into the "nihilist"-clichée - wear all black cloths, listen to black music, are generally really dark.

"Nihilism" comes from the Latin nihil, or nothing, which means not anything, that which does not exist. It appears in the verb "annihilate," meaning to bring to nothing, to destroy completely. Early in the nineteenth century, Friedrich Jacobi used the word to negatively characterize transcendental idealism. It only became popularized, however, after its appearance in Ivan Turgenev's novel Fathers and Sons (1862) where he used "nihilism" to describe the crude scientism espoused by his character Bazarov who preaches a creed of total negation.

In Russia, nihilism became identified with a loosely organized revolutionary movement (C.1860-1917) that rejected the authority of the state, church, and family. In his early writing, anarchist leader Mikhael Bakunin (1814-1876) composed the notorious entreaty still identified with nihilism: "Let us put our trust in the eternal spirit which destroys and annihilates only because it is the unsearchable and eternally creative source of all life--the passion for destruction is also a creative passion!" (Reaction in Germany, 1842). The movement advocated a social arrangement based on rationalism and materialism as the sole source of knowledge and individual freedom as the highest goal. By rejecting man's spiritual essence in favor of a solely materialistic one, nihilists denounced God and religious authority as antithetical to freedom. The movement eventually deteriorated into an ethos of subversion, destruction, and anarchy, and by the late 1870s, a nihilist was anyone associated with clandestine political groups advocating terrorism and assassination.

The earliest philosophical positions associated with what could be characterized as a nihilistic outlook are those of the Skeptics. Because they denied the possibility of certainty, Skeptics could denounce traditional truths as unjustifiable opinions. When Demosthenes (c.371-322 BC), for example, observes that "What he wished to believe, that is what each man believes" (Olynthiac), he posits the relational nature of knowledge. Extreme skepticism, then, is linked to epistemological nihilism which denies the possibility of knowledge and truth; this form of nihilism is currently identified with postmodern antifoundationalism. Nihilism, in fact, can be understood in several different ways. Political Nihilism, as noted, is associated with the belief that the destruction of all existing political, social, and religious order is a prerequisite for any future improvement. Ethical nihilism or moral nihilism rejects the possibility of absolute moral or ethical values. Instead, good and evil are nebulous, and values addressing such are the product of nothing more than social and emotive pressures. Existential nihilism is the notion that life has no intrinsic meaning or value, and it is, no doubt, the most commonly used and understood sense of the word today.

Max Stirner's (1806-1856) attacks on systematic philosophy, his denial of absolutes, and his rejection of abstract concepts of any kind often places him among the first philosophical nihilists. For Stirner, achieving individual freedom is the only law; and the state, which necessarily imperils freedom, must be destroyed. Even beyond the oppression of the state, though, are the constraints imposed by others because their very existence is an obstacle compromising individual freedom. Thus Stirner argues that existence is an endless "war of each against all" (The Ego and its Own, trans. 1907).

taken from: http://www.iep.utm.edu/n/nihilism.htm

Ivan Turgenev's novel is a great reading by the way...

[Alisima]

After nihilism has destructed every value, nihilism itself must be destructed too. If one still thinks oneself to be a nihilist, nihilism hasn't occured yet.

What I am trying to say is that there is a difference between a wannabe-nihilist and a 'true' nihilist. And I believe that if many try to become nihilists, many will become wannabe-nihilists. Nevertheless, nihilism is a way to bring yourself to the present moment and to, eventually, get rid of any neurosis that you may have. But beware not to fall into the traps.

[Lena]

I thought nihilism was the form of skepticism in which you don't believe in anything you perceive, for example, you could think life is just a dream and someday you'll wake up to the REAL world, which could be anything. I used to be like this when I was a little kid. It’s very hard to shake off those thoughts.

I'm not sure I understand the philosophy this site is talking about. I don't think it's the same thing I had.

[the_greek]

Have you heard Alan Watts' opinion on existentialists? (quite similar if not identical to nihilists)

quote:

"What we do is we build in to every human being the idea that existence is guilt. The existentialists make a big deal of this - watch out for them because they are hoaxes and they say that guilt is ontological. If you're not feeling guilty you're not human. And that was because papa and mama said; "look at all the trouble you have caused us.. shouldn't dare to exist, you have no rights, but maybe we'll give you some out of the generosity of our hearts so that you'll be permanently indebted to us." And so everybody goes around with that sort of thing in their background unless they've had different kinds of mamas and papas..."

- Alan Watts



References:

Tao of Wisdom CD-ROM series;

'Out of your mind - session (CD4) - the web of life part 2': chapter 6: 'what game would you like to play?'

[Alisima]

Have you heard Alan Watts' opinion on existentialists? (quite similar if not identical to nihilists)

Ehm, yes I have heard it, and no, existentialists aren't the same as nihilists. Otherwise we wouldn't have 2 words for them, would we?? And I guess that if you were to say to a existentialists that he is almost like a nihilist, auch!! Ofcourse, the other way around too.

"What we do is we build in to every human being the idea that existence is guilt. The existentialists make a big deal of this - watch out for them because they are hoaxes and they say that guilt is ontological. If you're not feeling guilty you're not human. And that was because papa and mama said; "look at all the trouble you have caused us.. shouldn't dare to exist, you have no rights, but maybe we'll give you some out of the generosity of our hearts so that you'll be permanently indebted to us." And so everybody goes around with that sort of thing in their background unless they've had different kinds of mamas and papas..."

Well, this is one form of existentialism. But I doubt that every existentialist says that guilt is ontological, rooted in existence. Although Alan Watts is right, there are those whose idea is of guilt, christianity for instance. But don't expect that with every existentialist you see; don't automatically connect existentialism with ontological guilt, give them the freedom of doubt. There aren't 2 existentialists the same.

[the_greek]

Of course of course.... but then we might as well just debate about what truth is.

[Alisima]

It would be rather pointless, wouldn't it??

[the_greek]

My statement was rhetoric. Obviously it would be.