What is nihilism?
You picked up the term nihilism somewhere? Or heard of a “nihilistic view of life”? Maybe you've been called a nihilist yourself, but don't quite know what that's supposed to say?
What does nihilism mean?
The term nihilism derives from the Latin "nihil", which means "nothing".
In terms of educational language, this describes an ideological attitude that rejects all positive ideals and values and negates all norms and values that apply in a society.
In philosophy, it describes the meaninglessness of everything that exists and the view of nothingness. The term sometimes has a very profound meaning here.
In German philosophy, however, the term has only played a role since the end of the 18th century. century a role.
How is the term used?
Especially in the past, "nihilism" was often used polemically. This meant critics of a religious or political order. Church nihilists are often compared to atheists, political nihilists to anarchists.
Especially in the Vormärz period, between 1815 and 1848, the term was increasingly used for atheists and opponents of the political system.
"Our agreement is null and void" - everyone has heard this or similar sentences before...
Colloquially, nihilists are often equated with pessimists, which is actually not entirely correct. The designation is therefore to be understood rather pejoratively or even reproachfully.
How do nihilists differ from pessimists?
Pessimists have a fundamentally negative view of life. They always assume that something will go wrong or end badly. Nihilists, on the other hand, simply reject certain values or beliefs. This does not necessarily mean that they always see the negative in life, but nihilists often show pessimistic traits.
What types of nihilists are there?
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche divided nihilists into two categories. On the one hand, the passive nihilists who are unable to create their own values and meaning in their actions.
On the other side are the so-called reactive nihilists. In his time, he included Russian anarchists, for example, who called for the merciless destruction of the state.
What types of nihilism are there?
Due to the extreme ambiguity and a strong negative connotation, the term is rarely used in modern philosophy. However, there are numerous types of nihilism that apply to other areas as well.
logical nihilism
Adherents of logical nihilism deny some or all truths.
Therapeutic nihilism
Therapeutic nihilism results from logical nihilism. It plays a role in medicine and describes the (complete) rejection of therapeutic measures for diseases.
Therapeutic nihilists are skeptical of medicine's incomplete knowledge. In their eyes there is no truth and mankind can never know if something is true or not. For this reason, in the event of illness, they prefer to refrain entirely from medical treatment.
religious nihilism
Religious nihilists deny the existence of gods and therefore reject religions away. This often leads to religious nihilists seeing no meaning in life, since life will end one day anyway and humanity will simply be forgotten over time.
existential nihilism
Existential nihilism is the best known and probably also the most common form of nihilism. Existential nihilists see no meaning in life and humanity.
Especially in the 19 In the 19th century this was a widespread attitude to life, which was also often taken up in literary works of the epoch.
ethical nihilism
Representatives of this type of nihilism turn away from the models and maxims for action established in society. For them, freedom is the highest principle of life and they see it as endangered by these very social models.
ontological nihilism
Ontological nihilists deny being and see nothingness as the ultimate truth.
metaphysical nihilism
Proponents of metaphysical nihilism deny the existence of any reality.
Basically, the different types and meanings of the term nihilism can always be classified according to what is denied. This includes:
- a meaning of life
- a sense of world history
- the existence of supernatural beings
- recognizable facts
- moral obligations, values and norms
What are the consequences of a nihilistic way of thinking?
A nihilistic mindset can have both positive and negative consequences.
While for many the thought is that life is finite, the universe is infinite and mankind is really only tiny, scary, that's exactly where others draw their optimism and positive attitude towards Life. This is exactly what is called optimistic nihilism.
Existentialism can also be seen as a consequence of nihilism. Objectively speaking, no meaning in life is seen here, but people can very well find their own meaning in their own lives.
A slightly modified form of this is Christian existentialism. According to this, man is lost in the infinite universe and only God can give meaning to his life.
Absurdism is a philosophical school that deals with a conflict arising from nihilism. Man strives to find the meaning of life. However, this must inevitably fail, since, according to nihilism, this does not exist and therefore man cannot find it. The Philosophy of the Absurd, as this current is also called, has dedicated itself to this complex topic.
Are there any known representatives of nihilism?
One of the most important representatives of nihilism as a philosophical movement is Friedrich Nietzsche. The German philosopher, who lived from 1844 to 1900, is considered one of the most brilliant philosophers of his time, who not a few claim to be far ahead of his time with his thinking and his views been.
Nietzsche wrote much of his work while suffering from nervous breakdowns or delusions.
His nihilistic worldview was prompted by dwindling belief in God and the increased emergence of science. As a result, the basis for any values and morality disappeared for him and he was convinced that human beings would never be able to grasp the truth, even if it existed at all.
One of his most famous quotes is: "God is dead!'' God remains dead! And we killed him!"
In the case of many other writers and philosophers, the question of whether they were nihilists cannot be answered so unequivocally, but basic nihilistic features are hinted at in their works.
These writers include Franz Kafka, with his work “The Homecoming” and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, in whose book “Faust” clear traits of nihilism can be seen.