Sage-Tips

What philosopher came up with nihilism?

Friedrich Nietzsche
Among philosophers, Friedrich Nietzsche is most often associated with nihilism. For Nietzsche, there is no objective order or structure in the world except what we give it. Penetrating the façades buttressing convictions, the nihilist discovers that all values are baseless and that reason is impotent.

What is the central philosophy of nihilism?

Nihilism (/ˈnaɪ(h)ɪlɪzəm, ˈniː-/; from Latin nihil ‘nothing’) is a philosophy, or family of views within philosophy, that rejects general or fundamental aspects of human existence, such as objective truth, knowledge, morality, values or meaning.

Can you be a nihilist and existentialist?

You can be both a cosmic nihilist and an existentialist nihilist. Cosmic nihilism contrasts the vastness of the universe to humanity and says we are infinitely insignificant and meaningless in the cosmos. Existential nihilism also says humanity has no purpose or meaning.

Can you be a nihilist and a stoic?

Nihilism is compatible with Stoicism, and just about any other first-order moral system. This is because (moral) Nihilism is meta-moral relativism: that values cannot be produced from purely factual descriptions of nature, and thus can be neither absolute nor universal, is a second-order restriction.

Is Nietzsche a nihilist or existentialist?

In either case, Nietzsche is both a nihilist and existentialist. As nihilist as one who criticise the structure of power, as existentialist as one who attempts to be independent of the structure of power.

What is optimistic nihilism?

Optimistic nihilism views the belief that there is no underlying meaning to life from a perspective of hope. The optimistic nihilist looks at a world lacking meaning and purpose and sees the opportunity to create their own. Optimistic nihilism can be an incredibly empowering belief.

What is true nihilism?

True nihilism is an extremely pessimistic and sceptical view of the world and existence, that believes everything is baseless, without meaning, purpose, and reject ethics and moral values as they have no loyalties to law, rules or authority.

What is Nietzsche’s philosophy of nihilism?

Friedrich Nietzsche and Nihilism. Among philosophers, Friedrich Nietzsche is most often associated with nihilism. For Nietzsche, there is no objective order or structure in the world except what we give it. Penetrating the façades buttressing convictions, the nihilist discovers that all values are baseless and that reason is impotent.

Is nihilism a response to existential despair?

By the end of the century, existential despair as a response to nihilism gave way to an attitude of indifference, often associated with antifoundationalism. It has been over a century now since Nietzsche explored nihilism and its implications for civilization.

What is the foundation of epistemological nihilism?

But for epistemological nihilism, there is no standard, no foundation, no ground upon which one can make knowledge claims, nothing to justify our belief that any particular claim is true. All appeals to objectivity seen from the perspective of epistemological nihilism are illusory.