Nihilism

Nihilism is the belief in nothing. A true nihilist would have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy everything of value in society. Friedrich Nietzsche argued that nihilism's corrosive effects would eventually destroy all moral, religious, and metaphysical convictions; cause the collapse of meaning, relevance, purpose, and precipitate the greatest crisis in human history. German political philosopher Leo Strauss argued that modern liberalism leads inevitably to nihilism. And because of this view, some philosophers have argued that political leaders should invent elaborate myths in order to unite citizens of modern liberal democratic society behind a common purpose. Leo Strauss also noted that religion can function as a glue that binds society together.

Major types of nihilism include:

• epistemological nihilism which denies the possibility of knowledge and truth; this form of nihilism is identified with postmodernism.

• Political Nihilism is the belief that the destruction of all existing political, social, and religious order is a prerequisite for any future improvement; this form of nihilism is identified with anarchism.

• Moral nihilism rejects all moral or ethical values; this form of nihilism is identified with moral relativism.

• Existential nihilism is the notion that life has no meaning or purpose.

• Mereological nihilism is the view that objects with parts do not exist, it's a human illusion; this view has been identified with some aspects of Buddhist philosophy and Immanuel Kant's transcendental idealism.

In his book, The Decline of the West, German philosopher Oswald Spengler observes that pattern of nihilism was a feature shared by all civilizations on the verge of collapse.

See Also

Atheism