We explain what nihilism is, how it originated and what its central ideas are. Also, its general characteristics, classification and more.
What is nihilism?
Nihilism is a way of thinking about the metaphysical, ethical and epistemological history of the Western world. As its name indicates (nihil means “nothing” in Latin), nihilism maintains that instead of there being “something” that functions as the foundation of everything that is, what there is is “nothing.”
Nihilism rejects the fundamental and accepted aspects of the meaning of life. So, denies the possibility of finding an ultimate goal or meaning of existencesince nothing sustains it or drives it in a particular direction.
While nihilism can be traced back to ancient Greece or the work of Augustine of Hippo, The popularity of the use of the term occurred in the 19th century.both in Russia and Germany. The Russian writer Ivan Turgenev incorporated the term “nihilism” into his novel Parents and childrenfrom 1863. For his part, the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche used nihilism as an interpretive key to think about the history of Western metaphysics.
Contrary to popular belief, nihilism It is not a denial of life nor a belief “in anything.”. In any case, nihilism is the opposition to all objective, deterministic or hierarchical meanings that give existence a specific mission or purpose, an explanation or justification.
Nihilism prefers the idea of a continuous evolution of historywithout any final purpose or objective. It professes the liberation of preconceived ideas about life or destiny and embraces playful and vitalistic ideas, contrary to the pessimism with which the term is commonly associated.
See also: Relativism
Etymology of the term “nihilism”
The term “nihilism” comes from Latin nihil (“nothing”). It is used to refer to a type of thought that supports or advocates an absence or “nothing” instead of the idea of a foundational origin as a starting point. It was popularized by the Russian writer Ivan Turgenev in his novel titled Parents and children (1862). Turgenev explains it as a political position opposed to all authority and every principle of faith. The term spread in imperial Russia: it was frowned upon by conservative sectors and embraced by revolutionaries.
However, the term dates from a letter sent to the philosopher Fichte by Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi at the end of the 18th century (1799), in which he used it as a criticism of the idealist-transcendental philosophy of Immanuel Kant.
In the long run, the term “nihilist” It became mockery and insult for the young and radical generations who, by opposing the traditional order, were accused of “not believing in anything.”
Background of nihilism
The clearest antecedents of nihilism are in the cynical school of philosophical thought of Ancient Greecefounded by Antisthenes in the 4th century BC. c.
The cynics criticized the order and prevailing morality through satire and the practice of “anaideia”: shamelessness, provocation or irreverence. They were also attributed indifference to good and evil as clear and recognizable concepts (the “adiaphoria”) and freedom in speaking (the “parrhesia”).
Russian Nihilism
It is known as Russian nihilism. a generation of young artists who, during tsarist Russia (under the rule of Alexander II), took advantage of the granting of certain civil liberties (such as that of the press) to react against the old religious, moral and idealistic ideas, ridiculing and combating them through stark sincerity, bad taste and a derogatory provocation. These attitudes served Turgenev for his generational portrait in Parents and children (1862).
Nietzschean Nihilism
In philosophy, nihilism gained popularity thanks to the work of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). Nihilism is the Nietzschean interpretive key to thinking about the history of Western metaphysics. It proposes the loss of weight of those values considered supreme. Nietzsche affirms that “God is dead”, that is, there is no more ultimate foundation of reality, which is in turn the foundation of moral values and everything that exists. To say “God is dead” is to say that absolute values no longer exist.
According to Nietzsche, nihilism can be thought of according to different types or nihilistic periods in the history of philosophy:
- decadent nihilism. The first type of nihilism is characterized by metaphysical philosophy, by having monotonotheistic thinking (the idea of a God who is always the same, no matter what you call him) and by having features of Egyptism (according to Nietzsche, by “mummifying” to life). Decadent nihilism is that of the transmundane man or “last man,” which is that of the small and vain virtues. His figure is that of the camel, which kneels to be carried. appears in The birth of tragedy (1872).
- comprehensive nihilism. The second type of nihilism is the hammer philosophy, critical or genealogical philosophy. Integral nihilism is that of the free spirit. His figure is that of the lion, since he has “freedom of” but cannot yet create. appears in Human too human (1878), The traveler and his shadow (1879), Aurora (1881), The Gay Science (1882), Genealogy of morality (1887), twilight of the idols (1888) and The Antichrist (1888).
- Future Nihilism. The third type of nihilism is artistic philosophy, creator and legislator of values. Future nihilism is that of the artist-philosopher, the child-philosopher or philosopher of the future. His figure is that of the child who has innocence and freedom to create. appears in Thus spoke Zarathustra (1883-1885).
Central ideas of nihilism
Although nihilism is not a philosophical doctrine, we can summarize the main ideas of those who exercise it in the following points:
- Life has no meaning per se and, therefore, there is no “correct” way to live it.
- Existence is ephemeral and vain, therefore, it is up to the human being to decide what he does with it in full and absolute freedom.
- Religion, ideology, morality and other doctrines are nothing more than thought control mechanisms in favor of a status quo.
- Being aware of existential emptiness is a form of freedom.
philosophical nihilism
Nihilism in philosophy is linked to the work of two great German philosophers: Frederick Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger.
Nietzsche maintains that the history of metaphysics is the history of nihilistic thought. So, the Christian religion is nihilistic because the God that Christians think of as the foundation of reality is nothing (nihil) from the beginning. The forgetting of this nothingness and the artificial production of the divine is nihilistic thinking.
According to Nietzsche, Western metaphysical thought is decadent because it is sustained by oppositions and domination of “others” (what is different from oneself) based on the idea of a nihilistic God. This extreme location is what is decadent. When it is said that “God is dead” it is precisely because there is no more fictitious support for what is: great historical values do not serve to dominate or establish oppositions. Nietzsche calls this void “the death of God.”
Heidegger, for his part, describes nihilism as the state in which “nothing remains of being itself”since it reduces being to a mere value. It represents a movement that follows Western consciousness and is based on three principles:
- The denial of all current values.
- The self-affirmation of that initial denial.
- Building a new starting point.
Types of nihilism
The best-known types of nihilism are those described by Nietzsche in his different works. However, broadly speaking, two forms of nihilism can be thought of. These differ from each other depending on how they think about the nothingness that nihilism postulates.
- Active or positive nihilismunderstood as the denial of all forms of dogmatism to surrender to freedom and the thousands of possible life options.
- Passive or negative nihilismunderstood as the denial of ethical principles that often leads to self-destruction and negligence.
Nihilism in literature
Literature has used nihilism on various occasions. In Russian literature, for example, the influence of nihilism is seen in the work of Turgenev, and in the works of Anton Chekhov, in particular in his work The three sisterswhere the phrase “What does it matter?” It is often used as a response to narrated events.
On the other hand, for authors such as the philosopher and writer Ayn Rand, nihilism represents the denial of an indispensable vital spiritand that is why its antagonist characters often respond to precepts of this doctrine.
Nihilism in cinema
Contemporary cinema has echoed various nihilistic explorations.
- Matrix (1999). Existential questions point to a philosophical break with reality.
- fight club (1999). The protagonist undertakes an internal journey in which he frees himself from the prevailing social values and embraces, instead, the insignificance of existence.
- The Big Lebowski (1998). The characters are branded “nihilistic” in response to their lack of vital aspirations.
Nihilism in politics
The extreme political current of anarchism often finds points of contact with nihilism, especially in their skepticism regarding social, hierarchical or religious values that allow the control of human life based on a “correct” model of living.
In fact, Russian nihilism was the cradle of many anarchist groups who later fought for the disappearance of the State.
Popular concept of nihilism
The term “nihilist” has been commonly used in popular culture as a synonym for rebellion (often in a very naive way, linked to adolescence) and pessimism, depression, despair or even suicide. None of these connotations have any real link to the original concept.
Continue with: Idealism
References
- Volpi, F. (2005). Nihilism. Byblos Publishing House.
- Laiseca, L. (2001). European nihilism: the nihilism of morality and the anti-Christian tragedy in Nietzche. Byblos Publishing House.
