...understanding of the Russian nihilism of the 1860s begins with an attempt to understand the concept of nihilism. This is naturally difficult because if there is a word that has even more loaded, and negative, connotations than anarchism it would be nihilism. This is particularly because the primary vehicle of our modern understanding of nihilism is through the fiction of Turgenev and Dostoevsky. Neither of these authors were particularly sympathetic to nihilism and provided nihilist characters primarily as a frame with which to drape their morality tales. The version of nihilism offered by these authors is then, primarily, a snapshot of the popular culture in which nihilism dwelt as much as it is a recollection of the trend. This time in Russian history is part of the story of nihilism and will be part of the story in bridging the gap between the mythological Bazarov, Verkhovensky, or Raskolnikov and figures like Nicholas Chernyshevsky, Dmitry Pisarev, and to some extent Sergey Nechayev. What then was nihilism? Nihilism was a youth movement, a philosophical tendency, and a revolutionary impulse. Nihilism was the valorization of the natural sciences. Nihilism was a specific fashion style. Nihilism was a new approach to aesthetics, criticism and ethics. Nihilism was the contradiction between a studied materialism and the desire to annihilate the social order. Nihilism was also a particularly Russian response to the conditions of Tsarist reform and repression. Nihilism has become much...
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...Nihilism!!! What is Nihilism? A common (but misleading) description of nihilism is the 'belief in nothing'. Instead, a far more useful one would substitute 'faith' for 'belief' where faith is defined as the "firm belief in something for which there is no proof." A universal definition of nihilism could then well be the rejection of that which requires faith for salvation or actualization and would span to include anything from theology to secular ideology. Within nihilism faith and similar values are discarded because they've no absolute, objective substance, they are invalid serving only as yet another exploitable lie never producing any strategically beneficial outcome. Faith is an imperative hazard to group and individual because it compels suspension of reason, critical analysis and common sense. Faith is "don't let those pesky facts get in the way of our political plan or our mystically ordained path to heaven"; faith is "do what I tell you because I said so". All things that can't be disproved need faith, utopia needs faith, idealism needs faith, and spiritual salvation needs faith. Fuck faith. The second element nihilism rejects is the belief in final purpose, that the universe is built upon non-random events and that everything is structured towards an eventual conclusive revelation. This is called teleology and it's the fatal flaw plaguing the whole rainbow of false solutions from Marxism to Buddhism and everything in between. Teleology compels obedience towards the...
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...mistakes his heroin for cocaine and overdoses, so Vincent has to give her a shot of adrenaline to bring her back. Now it goes back to the opening scene before the coffee shop where Vincent and Jules are first retrieving the briefcase. Vincent and Jules get shot at from close range, but none of the bullets hit. Jules has an epiphany and calls it divine intervention that they are both not dead. They take the briefcase with them to the coffee shop as Ringo and Honeybunny rob it, and Jules has a new way of looking at things. Instead of killing them he gives the robber fifteen hundred dollars to leave so he doesn’t have to kill them. This movie has one main symbol that is shown throughout the entire film in the case of Jules, and that is nihilism. Nihilism is described as life without objective meaning. Jules starts off the movie with no objective meaning at all, and you see this because Marsellus could give Jules an order to kill someone and he would not even question why it is necessary or justified he would just do it. Before Jules kills someone he says this line from the bible, “The path of...
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...The Most Fundamental Question As we delve into a time where technology and the constant urgency of life pushes us further into the idea that we cannot look into what is occurring in front of us, but rather what is ahead of us the idea of “being” has taken on the meaning more consistent to “going through the motions” rather than actually setting oneself completely within what is happening in front of them. The very idea of this has become muddled, and our minds have become clouded in worrying about consequences of our actions that may not play out for days, weeks, or months, and we assume that we will be around long enough to see them play out. This constant looking ahead is what has caused us to lose who we are now, and in losing this we lose who we are in the future. This seems to be a sickness that has plagued man not only these days but in the past as German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) recognized this occurring in front of him and in an effort to bring a remedy to the situation which he believed was caused by western philosophy’s nihilistic tendencies, so he posed the question, “why are there beings at all instead of nothing?”1 This question seemed more than appropriate as its seems we today, much as man seemed to be when the question was originally posed continue to ignore or lose our sense of being, allowing for the word to simply become muddled in with the rest of our every day vocabulary. Heidegger believed that metaphysics, or all philosophy in general...
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...overcomes pessimism without retreating into lies about ultimate meaning and purpose. ▪ Life is a disappointing and that for every satisfied desire, new desires emerge; our only hope is detachment and withdrawal ▪ Life is meaningless and pointless ▪ I can do whatever I want Define will to power and how Nietzsche thinks it has worked throughout history and continues to work today. ▪ He thought it was a universal desire to control others and impose our values on them ▪ Life an expression of will How is Nietzsche an anti-philosopher? What is nihilism and how does it fit into Nietzsche’s being an anti-philosopher. ▪ Anti-philosopher – is a radical critic of certain techniques and foundational doctrines of modern science and philosophy, in other words, rejects the possibility of a neutral stance or “perspective less perspective.” Wants them top have their own perspective ▪ Nihilism – belief the universe lacks meaning and purpose What did Nietzsche mean when he said, “God is Dead?” ▪ The idea of God has lost its full creative force, its full power ▪ Our true faith is science and technological progress ▪ We can’t handle truth ▪ Describe an overman and an underman using Nietzsche’s concepts of slave morality and master morality?...
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...Gabriel Rodriguez Professor Kimpel December 4, 2011 SOC 209 In Cornel West’s book “Race Matters” he discusses a few themes and gives his readers on thoughts on African Americans in society. He also speaks out on issues that he believes are very important to black America such as Nihilism, his views and the views of Liberal Structuralists and the conservative behaviorists, and the crisis of no leadership in black America. These to me are the important themes that need to be shown in order for there to be change in society. Before one goes into the views of the two comps and leadership issue one must understand the importance of Nihilism. Nihilism in definition is the total rejection of laws and institutions already established. However West’s makes it more than this as he makes references in his work that it has now become a disease, “ Like alcoholism and drug addiction, nihilism is a disease of the soul”. He continues on making references that this “virus” cannot be completely cured but it can be stopped and have its effects reversed. He believes that this threat of nihilism in black America cannot be stopped merely debates and analyzing the situation but can be controlled by love and care. Through these two cures it will give people a chance to believe that there is hope for the future and give meaning to struggle. With these two factors it supposedly increases the modes of self-valuation and encouraging political resistance in an individual’s community. West’s also...
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...Phil 1010 – 930a Prof. Michele C. Evans Final Exam Essay Barry Bishop II Nietzsche's assertion that 'God is dead' is not simply a theological statement. Nietzsche hasn't come up with the definitive argument to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that God could not possibly exist-except in the minds of men. This statement, although it certainly does have its theological aspect, is essentially a statement proclaiming the plight of modern Western culture. Succinctly stated, the 'Death of God' refers to the complete loss of belief in the accepted religious and metaphysical world-view along with the system of values it upholds, in particular its moral values. The 'Death of God' announces the advent of the age of nihilism, an age of cultural barrenness arising from this loss of belief, and which may well end in catastrophe as far as any truly human existence is concerned. Yet, to Nietzsche, this demise of God, this loss of belief in all that we esteemed as the highest and most valuable, is simply the natural and logical outcome, within the history of Western culture, of the accepted religious and metaphysical world-view. It all begins with the original premise of the framework of Platonism, which, according to Nietzsche, became the ground of all subsequent metaphysical, religious, moral, historical and political views on man and his place in the universe. Broadly, that original Platonic or Socratic premise claimed that existence is bifurcated into two separate asymmetrical...
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...The Trumann Show Essay The film deals with a lot of problems for the modern man. We follow Truman Burbank an ordinary man, he lives a normal life in a middle class community. But he’s not ordinary, the first time we get a clue is when he’s about to get in his car on a normal morning and a light falls down from the dome, this symbolise that Trumann’s live is going to crash on the ground. And soon he begins to get clues that all the people are involved in a big plot against him. Trumann also finds out that his choices can affect his life, something he had never experienced before because of his repetitive lifestyle. In fact it looks a lot like the lifestyle most of us have today. We get up at the same time everyday go to work at the same time everyday and just like Trumann we have we accepted it. But somehow it starts to become boring for Trumann and he discovers that he can change his life by his own choices and starts to blame himself for his awful life. Many of the modern men or women can relate to this. Today most of us don’t believe in God, Allah or religion at all. We are responsible for our own lives. Not like a thousand years ago when you lived after a book, which told you how you should behave in society. You could also say he becomes a bit existentialistic. Existentialism is an ideology that thinks about the individual soul and denies existence of god. Trumann also pursue his dreams or he start’s to do it. He wants’ to go to a little Island called Fiji which...
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...How does Nihilism affect Hedonism? Farid Guzman BKvt.3 Hedonism and Nihilism are two incredibly interesting philosophies, especially when studied in contrast to each other. Although by the simplest definitions they are opposites, they actually have a lot in common. In fact, it s entirely possible for one to occur as a result of the other. Both are very common in modern Western society, although for the most part extreme hedonists or nihilists are almost unheard of. Even thought we don’t normally pay attention to it, we all have Nihilistic and Hedonistic tendencies at various times throughout our lives. Nihilism is the belief that nothing we do, own or believe is of any value. It is the belief that we are worthless and that life has no purpose. It comes across as a very dark, empty way of life, yet we all embrace it in small ways. For example, someone may deem voting worthless, arguing that their political choices won’t affect anything. This, on a small scale, is Nihilism. It's a common assumption that without religious moral codes people will behave in a dishonest, violent and otherwise anti-social manner. Yet, the most pious and devout believers still lie, cheat, steal and kill; an open non-believer could do no worse. And the dishonest and anti-social behavior of believers exploiting religious morality are all the more malevolent because they do it under the cover of “righteousness”. The fact is that religion, and the morality it attempts to conclude, is actually...
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...Christopher Leveratto Ms. Cox Honors British Literature 9 October 2014 Nihilism Is there a true meaning of life? Do the values in human life such as charity, courage, hope, heroism, and bravery have any significance? In the John Gardener's Grendel the answer is no. Nihilism is the name for it and it's expressed in the way one person behaves, feels, or thinks. Throughout the book, Grendel battles with the idea of making his life meaningful or coming to reality that it has no meaning. With characters from the book constantly influencing his view on life, Grendel slowly turns his life into a nihilistic one. This is in turn causes Grendel to come to accept his role in life and goes on living the monster he was meant to be. Grendel himself exhibits signs of nihilism. While stuck in tree as the bull is attacking him he thinks to himself saying, "I understood that the world was nothing: a mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity on which we stupidly impose our hopes and fears" (21-22). This view of Grendel's is a nihilistic one and is one he continually enfolds throughout the book. To Grendel, the value of human life has no meaning. He is constantly killing Hrothgar's people as if it was a mechanical thing he does. An example of how Grendel disvalues human life is when he storms Hrothgar's mead hall determined to kill Wealtheow after seeing how much she means to the king and his people. "I would kill her and teach them reality" (110). He does however change his mind because...
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...Idealism * Has to do with the nature of reality * Origins: Greek philosopher: Plato * Physical world isn’t real—constantly changing * George Berkeley proposed belief that nothing exists outside of the mind * Metaphysical and Epistemological are two main branches * Metaphysical: Everything in the universe is dependent on the mind * Ideal way of thinking Old and Middle English * 3 periods of the English language * Old English * Brought poetic models * Old English syntax * Doesn’t follow modern English in the form of a subject, verb, then object * Middle English * Syntax made use of the perfect tense (have + past participle) * 425 until 1066 (Battle of Hastings—when English were conquered—1066) * Poetry didn’t rhyme—poems relied on rhythm * Literary techniques used * Caesura * Alliteration * Kenning The Renaissance * 14-1600’s * Humanism was the main objective of the renaissance * Many religious quarrels between Protestants and Catholics * Time of transition between the middle ages and dark ages Neo Classism * Divided into 3 different time periods * Restoration age * More renaissance influence * Augustan Age * Prime age for neo-classism * Age of Johnson * A movement of the arts inspired by Ancient Rome and Greek culture * Neo classists believe humans are evil and they need laws and rules...
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...1. The idea that “existence precedes essence” is that, for human beings, there is no predefined pattern that we must fit into. We live our lives which defines what we truly are, not any idealized set of characteristics. This idea is the heart of Sartre’s existentialism. We must create our own meaning, place our own value on our acts, and make our individual freedom absolute and unbounded. Sartre, although an atheist, stated the meaning that God is the full existential realization of every perfect, ideal or essential attribute of God. Sartre described that as an impossibility, but it is also a good description of what a believer believes God to be. 2. The first principle of existentialism is humanism. Atheistic existentialism declares with greater consistency that if God does not exist there is at least one being whose existence comes before its essence, a being which exists before it can be defined by any conception of it. That being is man or the human reality. In addition, this is what people call its “subjectivity,” using the word as a reproach against us. For we mean to say that man primarily exists – that man is, before all else, something which propels itself towards a future and is aware that it is doing so. Man is, indeed, a project which possesses a subjective life, instead of being a kind of moss, or a fungus or a cauliflower. Before that projection of the self nothing exists; not even in the heaven of intelligence: man will only attain existence when he is what...
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...God Is Dead In "Good Country People" O’Connor explained the inner world of selfish, ugly and humble heart by the two protagonists Joy and Pointer’s descriptions, the task of character disgusting twisted side vividly demonstrated to the readers, merciless in exposing pure real life all the evils of human nature and its destruction. Joy is a negative with the nihilist, she doubts everything, hate everything, negating all the traditional values that everywhere is full of evil, all is vanity, she is also a twist on the character, she strongly highlight and strengthen their own to emphasize its ugly appearance "inner beauty" to abnormal behavior against everything around to vent discontent of reality. She pretentious, despised everything, she was advertised herself “I’m one 0f those people who see through to nothing” revealing the arrogance of her heart. She attempts to change Pointer's beliefs, her own blind arrogance ultimately embarrassing, pitiful situation; in fact, he is a hidden under the ugly appearance of the inner ugly people. O’Connor described both her ugly surface and inner world, “she had thought and thought until she had hit upon the ugliest name in any language. Then she had gone and had the beautiful name, Joy, changed without telling her mother” (page. 145). The reason that Joy find a most deliberately nasty name, is not because of low self-esteem, on the contrary, she put the most terrible name as the highest symbol of the creative act, which shows her superior...
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...Nihilism 1. .Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy. While few philosophers would claim to be nihilists, nihilism is most often associated with Friedrich Nietzsche who argued that its corrosive effects would eventually destroy all moral, religious, and metaphysical convictions and precipitate the greatest crisis in human history. “Nihilism" comes from the Latin nihil, or nothing, which means not anything. It appears in the verb "annihilate," meaning to bring to nothing, to destroy completely. Early in the nineteenth century, Friedrich Jacobi used the word to negatively characterize transcendental idealism. Nihilists denounced God and religious authority as antithetical to freedom. By the late 1870s, a nihilist was anyone associated with clandestine political groups advocating terrorism and assassination. 2. Nihilism, in fact, can be understood in several different ways. Political Nihilism, as noted, is associated with the belief that the destruction of all existing political, social, and religious order is a prerequisite for any future improvement. Ethical nihilism or moral nihilism rejects the possibility of absolute moral or ethical values. Instead, good and evil are nebulous, and values addressing...
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...Nietzsche: Life-Affirmation and Nihilism In Nietzsche’s writings, he attributes some of the blame for Western culture’s decline on nihilism through a pessimistic outlook on society’s ability to cope without a Judeo-Christian God. Nietzsche views nihilism as a deteriorating disability of one’s mentality and physicality, yet there appear to be moments where he leaves hints of being a nihilist himself. This is an interesting aspect in his writings that deserves attention: Nietzsche wishes only to be a Yes-sayer, with a life-affirming philosophy including Eternal Recurrence and Amor fati; yet, a pessimistic side also exists, who exhibits nihilistic tendencies in his writing. And here lies the contradiction. While criticizing nihilism as a disease in Western culture, he appears to possess nihilistic characteristics. I will analyze Nietzsche’s role as both a Yes-sayer and a possible nihilist in order to shed light on this possible contradiction. Through specific evidence in his works, I will attempt to show...
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