Is nihilism an objective?

Though nihilism can lead some people into despondency, it can also function as a path to personal fulfillment. As a start, “nihilism” is commonly defined as “the belief that life is meaningless.” A fuller definition would further add that nihilism is the belief that life has no objective meaning.

Can an idealist be a nihilist?

Thus, nihilism can be reconciled with ideas of objective idealism (such as external consciousness that created matter, i.e. God), but not with subjective idealism (which postulates that human consciousness it primary).

Was Nietzsche actually a nihilist?

Summary. Nietzsche is a self-professed nihilist, although, if we are to believe him, it took him until 1887 to admit it (he makes the admission in a Nachlass note from that year). No philosopher’s nihilism is more radical than Nietzsche’s and only Kierkegaard’s and Sartre’s are as radical.

Why is nihilism true?

Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy.

Does knowledge exist in nihilism?

Consequently, for the passive nihilist, knowledge exists, but it exists on the basis of faith. Nihilism is therefore not only to be found in the person who rejects knowledge claims for lacking an indubitable foundation.

What is the meaning of nihilism in philosophy?

Nihilism (/ˈnaɪ(h)ɪlɪzəm, ˈniː-/; from Latin nihil, meaning ‘nothing’) is the philosophical viewpoint that suggests the denial of, or lack of belief in, the reputedly meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism, which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value.

Is nihilism a threat to society?

Nihilism is a constant threat. As the 20th-century philosopher Hannah Arendt recognised, it is best understood not as a set of ‘dangerous thoughts’, but as a risk inherent in the very act of thinking. If we reflect on any specific idea long enough, no matter how strong it seems at first, or how widely accepted, we’ll start to doubt its truth.

Is nihilism active or passive?

Yet when the term is used in conversation, in newspaper editorials or in social media rants, it is rarely ever defined, as if everyone knows very well what nihilism means and shares the same definition of the concept. But as we have seen, nihilism can be both active and passive.