Josh Toles

English 220-007
Jennifer Gammage
11 February 2014

Expository Conceptual Analysis of Nihilism

In todays changing society, nihilists are an ever-growing part of the
population. Most people have heard of the term nihilism but many are not familiar
with what it means. Who are nihilists? What do they believe? What dont they
believe? Are they good people or bad people? This paper will answer these
questions and address nihilism in present day America.
There are different kinds of nihilism and subsequently different kinds of
nihilists. Some people are expressly nihilistic and want everyone else to know it
while others live their lives quietly just like the rest of us. There is a good chance
you know a nihilist but are unaware of their views. Nihilism is a state of mind in
which a person carries out their daily life believing that their choices, actions,
achievements, and downfalls have no meaning whatsoever. This may sound like just
the woes of a depressed soul but a nihilist believes that all human existence has no
purpose or intrinsic value. They see life as ultimately meaningless and view morality
and ethics as pointless or non-existent.
Now keep in mind that was a very general definition that encompasses all
four types of nihilism. Each type deserves its own definition and it is unfair to lump
them all together. However, if you did not know what nihilism was before picking up
this paper, you at least somewhere to start from. Different types of nihilism and
nihilistic philosophy are more prevalent depending on what century you look at,
what author you read, or what nihilist you observe. The first form of nihilism to
actually be labeled and recognized as such was political nihilism. Fathers and Sons
written by Ivan Tugrenev in 1862 was the book that popularized the term nihilism.
The novel questions and rejects political institutions and norms and is viewed by
philosophers and historians as and important piece of literature in the beginning of
the nihilistic movement of the late 1800s.
Friedrich Nietzsche, the most famous nihilistic philosopher, took Tugrenevs
ideas and reformed and focused them into the four main categories of nihilism we
recognize today.
The first type is moral nihilism. This is the belief that no one action is better
or preferable to another when looking at life as a whole and that morality is a
human construct. When I say human construct, I mean that the morals and
principles we as humans live our lives by do not come from some infallible or
eternal source such as a God. There is much confusion surrounding this type of
nihilism as some people tend think that just because someone does not agree with
inherent morality, they will not abide by societys definition of right and wrong.
Moral nihilists deny obligation, but they recognize incentive, empathy and
compassion.
Metaphysical nihilism is a bit more difficult to understand. It is the belief that
knowledge is not truly obtainable and that the nature of the universe and existence
itself can never be known. Metaphysical nihilists assert that there might be a world
in which there are no concrete objects a non-physical realm in which all universal
things (love, hate, family, friendship) exist.
Cosmic nihilism, also known as cosmicism, is the belief that human existence is
ultimately unimportant in the grand scheme of the universe and that there is no
ultimate intelligence associated with nature. Cosmic nihilists assert that there is no
divine presence such a god(s) in the universe and that humanity is entirely
insignificant and could be wiped out at any moment. The famous cosmologist (and a
personal hero of mine) Carl Sagan once said, the universe seems neither benign nor
hostile, merely indifferent. Cosmic nihilists view those who believe their lives have
some ultimately preplanned purpose as delusional.
The fourth kind of nihilism is existential nihilism, which is in a way, a
combination of the first three. Existential nihilists believe there is no why in the
universe. They assert not only that morality does not exist, but also that it would not
matter if it did. Existential nihilism is the belief that one humans actions during his
or her life (no matter how monumental or important) have no effect on the grand
scheme of existence. They believe that although there is no why in life, humans are
compelled to invent meaning and so any meaning your life has, is completely
devised by you.
What is the meaning of life has been an important question since the dawn
of humanity. Many have tried to answer it such as religions, governments, and
philosophers. Today we find that more and more people are rejecting these answers
and find the question itself to be hollow and meaningless. We can see this by looking
at the current numbers of people in the United States moving away from religion.
According to a study at the University of California Berkeley, Religious affiliation in
the United States is at its lowest point since it began to be tracked in the
1930s(berkeley.edu). This is strong evidence that the number of nihilists in our
country is growing because a key element of nihilism is not believing in or rejecting
the idea of a deity. Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy supported the idea that because
there is no god, there are no transcendent values, no transcendent morals, and no
transcendent purpose. He expressly speaks of this in The Gay Science.
God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall
we, murderers of all murderers, console ourselves? That which was
the holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet possessed has
bled to death under our knives. Who will wipe this blood off us? With
what water could we purify ourselves? What festivals of atonement,
what sacred games shall we need to invent? Is not the greatness of
this deed too great for us? Must we not ourselves become gods simply
to be worthy of it? There has never been a greater deed; and
whosoever shall be born after us - for the sake of this deed he shall be
part of a higher history than all history hitherto.

Nietzsche is referring to the cultural shift that was taking place during this time
where people were moving away from the Church. This indifference is what killed
the idea of God and is still continuing to take power away from religious institutions
today.










Works Cited
Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm. "The Madman, Section 125." The Gay Science. Mineola,
NY: Dover Publications, 2006. N. pag. Print.
Anwar, Yasmin. "Americans and Religion Increasingly Parting Ways, New Survey
Shows." UC Berkeley NewsCenter. N.p., n.d. Web.




Reflection
What were the biggest challenges in this section?
Understanding a few of the concepts related to metaphysical nihilism.
What kinds of reading skills did you use in this section?
I had to learn how to read and understand styles of writing I was not familiar with.
What kinds of writing skills did you use in this section?
Writing a skeleton that helped my paper fluidity.
What did you learn and how?
I learned that there are different kinds of nihilism and that I agree with some
aspects and disagree with others.