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I'd like to add one more, one I discovered about four years ago, when I was 13. I'd like to call it absolute Nihilism and the first thing is that, in it's true form, absolute nihilism isn't even theoretically describable. Descartes said you know for sure that you yourself exist and may it be just in the moment you realize that you think, but I don't think so, I think that whatever would be manipulating me has complete control over logical thinking, therefore "I" don't have to be, yet "something'" has to. The Problem is that "something" doesn't describe the absurdity of how little about it I actually know, because I know nothing and I cannot say that I cannot describe "it" because that designates "it" therefore, reminding of the famous saying "the boundaries of my language are the boundaries of my world" I cannot describe absolute nihilism, because everything, even "I think, therefore I am" is built on this fundamental trust into what I cannot linguistically distance myself from being trustworthy. Absolute Nihilism rejects any trust or should I say "belief", therefore I not only have to reject belief in the physical reality, which the rejection of is some interstage in between total and absolute nihilism, but also belief in what I cannot even describe (none of this comes close because it is not possible to get any close than infinitely far from describing absolute nihilism). From this revelation comes my opinion, that conscious live, existence, being is not only impossible without belief in the unprovable, but also in the undescribable. Luckily I have always been Christian and therefore had my belief in god to prevent me from becoming a practicing absolute nihilist. From all this I also derive that rationality, which I was obsessed with and which led to me to this, is a dead end without belief and therefore useless without belief and the meaning of life, which is to not be a practicing absolute nihilist and therefore to believe in something, anything at all and in extension, to act consciously on the basis of this belief. I choose to trust and believe in god.
I get so excited every time you post a video! I appreciate you, you have helped me grow and helped more than you will ever know. I sincerely say Thank you. PLEASE DONT STOP!
Ah thank you! And I am not sure - I spend a lot of time on the scripts to try and make them as clear as possible. There was a book I found really helpful to improve my writing, but I can't remember the name. I'll have a look
He is so good at speaking, explaining, and teaching-he’s in fire. I’ll say it again: the best channel on UA-cam because of the excellent content and the great content creator. From California.
I gotta say, the way you annunciate and phrase your sentences with vigor and emotion always gives my brain the proper cue to LISTEN. man, these days youtubers will talk in a very monotone or low-energy voice... and that's only if they're not using an AI to read aloud. the words fall right out of my brain but yours stick like high-energy thought-glue. Bravo
@@fencepanelist perhaps you see beyond the need for emphasis and straight to the point of information. However way you integrate other's ideas works. but never forget that grain of salt.
I am a nihilist but i don't see the "nothing matters" in a negative way but rather in a nothing matters do what you really want to do because at the end even if you don't take anything with at least you weren't unhappy living obediently by the meaningless rules of the world.
You have no reason to give in to this „philosophy“. It makes the same leap of faith that religion does. Gap of knowledge means nothing, thinking we know it all in 2024 is arrogance.
I’ve came up with the term “involuntary nihilist” to describe myself bc I HATE that nothing actually matters in the long run but I try my hardest to find meaning and value in my life/the world. Despite my brain trying its hardest to constantly remind me that nothing matters.
There is no evidence that logically is a proof of nihilism being correct. It might be wrong. Gap of knowledge can't be enough to jump of a conclusion. If this philosophy is not yours and it makes you feel bad, just don't accept it / don't give in to it. Lots of claims were made in the history of humanity, many were wrong. Theres tons of stuff we do not know about existence and the universe. It is quite arrogant and childish to truely believe that we have figured it all out, everything is meaningless, bla bla bla. Stay humble and open minded. There are things you and me can't even imagine now, that will be discovered within the next 1000 years. So, lets enjoy our journey and work together to bring humanity forward! The children of our children might have way more knowledge about the universe and the meaning of life than we do. Damn, science does not even know what consciousness is and how it works. Just 8 months ago, new research shows that the heat death of the universe might be a wrong theory. Don't fall for people who make claims about whats true, they don't know and they might be wrong :) Stay open minded and humble, keep on living and enjoying your life & bringing humanity forward❤
There is no evidence that logically is a proof of nihilism being correct. It might be wrong. Gap of knowledge can't be enough to jump of a conclusion. If this philosophy is not yours and it makes you feel bad, just don't accept it / don't give in to it. Lots of claims were made in the history of humanity, many were wrong. Theres tons of stuff we do not know about existence and the universe. It is quite arrogant and childish to truely believe that we have figured it all out, everything is meaningless, bla bla bla. Stay humble and open minded. There are things you and me can't even imagine now, that will be discovered within the next 1000 years. So, lets enjoy our journey and work together to bring humanity forward! The children of our children might have way more knowledge about the universe and the meaning of life than we do. Damn, science does not even know what consciousness is and how it works. Just 8 months ago, new research shows that the heat death of the universe might be a wrong theory. Don't fall for people who make claims about whats true, they don't know and they might be wrong :) Stay open minded and humble, keep on living and enjoying your life & bringing humanity forward❤
Accept and learn to live with what your brain is telling you. Learn to live means not giving in to despair but realizing you have to do everything yourself from scratch, you'll have to actively create your own meaning and purpose in life because that's the only thing that will do. IOW don't look for new values but create them by yourself and for yourself.
To me existentialism is like a medicine for nihilism. Man is constantly trying to avoid the experience of meaninglessness. Like Levinas' describes it with the state of "il y a". He states that we experience nihilism in boredom, we experience absurd thoughts like the fact that we have a random amount of fingers. All we do after that is construct a life to avoid this experience.
I believe that medicine to nihilism is psychosynthesis. I think nihilists do not have connection to their Self. Its hard to imagine a nihilist that feels the self/soul as that is theological in it's nature
I'm quite good with meaninglessness. I don't mind not knowing the meaning or getting the meaning incorrect. Some ppl go a bit over the top with it all.
I find great comfort in nihilism. When nothing holds intrinsic meaning, I feel liberated to live life on my own terms, pursuing the things I truly desire. In my opinion, it's a really good way to view life. :)
dude, do you remember the villain from Yu-Gi-Oh? The white-haired fella, "Pegasus"?... You sound just like him; it is dope and adds to your thought-provoking videos.
Full theoretical nihilist here. The reason nihilists in theory have these ideologies but do not act on them is based on the philosophy itself. "Nothing matters". It applies to everything. Not doing something because everything is meaningless is just as meaningless. Literally, if nothing has meaning, then nothingness is just as meaningless. If eating is meaningless, starving yourself is just as void of meaning. It can be maddening. But that is why there is no point in practical nihilism. Nothing matters whether you're practical about it and rot away, or not. Just as void. So doing things, despite their lack of meaning, is just as meaningless but it isn't stagnation. And that is the distinction. Meaninglessness is not the same as stagnation. Stagnation is nothingness. And everything isn't nothing, nothingness is part of everything. Nothingness doesn't entail meaninglessness. That's why most theoretical nihilists still go about life living like most despite the inherent lack of meaning in anything. Without humanity, there wouldn't be meaning applied to anything. But everything will still continue on beyond stagnation anyway.
I’ve been watching you lately, thank you for sharing your thoughts I love your interpretation. I follow many philosophy accounts and I feel you have shot to the top of my favorites, even more so than Academy of Ideas & they’re the ones who introduced me to philosophy. Keep it up thank you so much
The best question is: Does life even need a meaning? It will all be gone anyway. Who will even remember one's existence in 200 years or so? Right, nobody will (well, except if you are quite famous or influencial). That's one of the many reasons I'm an Existential Nihilist. Of course I'm not a total Nihilist. For me the position is more like: I think life has no value or meaning, but I don't care. I don't need my life to have any meaning because I will be forgotten anyway. No one will remember if or what value my life had.
I’ve always struggled to understand Nihilism and as a result how to feel about this philosophy of existentialism. This video provides perspective and clarification into this realm of philosophy. Thanks 🤩
Very enjoyable video, just one note - that (possibly AI-based) captioning suite makes the video worse because words appear on screen without rhyme or reason, surely if you'dve done it yourself or configured it properly it wouldn't be as bad as it is
I find this to be more helpful. Considering time is only a dimension, we understand more about our existence it raises more questions not less. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
I'd like to add one more, one I discovered about four years ago, when I was 13. I'd like to call it absolute Nihilism and the first thing is that, in it's true form, absolute nihilism isn't even theoretically describable. Decarte said you know for sure that you yourself exist and may it be just in the moment you realize that you think, but I don't think so, I think that whatever would be manipulating me has complete control over logical thinking, therefore "I" don't have to be, yet "something'" has to. The Problem is that "something" doesn't describe the absurdity of how little about it I actually know, because I know nothing and I cannot say that I cannot describe "it" because that designates "it" therefore, reminding of the famous saying "the boundaries of my language are the boundaries of my world" I cannot describe absolute nihilism, because everything, even "I think, therefore I am" is built on this fundamental trust into what I cannot linguistically distance myself from being trustworthy. Absolute Nihilism rejects any trust or should I say "belief", therefore I not only have to reject belief in the physical reality, which the rejection of is some interstage in between total and absolute nihilism, but also belief in what I cannot even describe (none of this comes close because it is not possible to get any close than infinitely far from describing absolute nihilism). From this revelation comes my opinion, that conscious live, existence, being is not only impossible without belief in the unprovable, but also in the undescribable. Luckily I have always been Christian and therefore had my belief in god to prevent me from becoming a practicing absolute nihilist. From all this I also derive that rationality, which I was obsessed with and which led to me to this, is a dead end without belief and therefore useless without belief and the meaning of life, which is to not be a practicing absolute nihilist and therefore to believe in something, anything at all and in extension, to act consciously on the basis of this belief. I choose to trust and believe in god.
Interesting, as always. I often refer to myself as a nihilist, but perhaps I need another word for it since I believe in the concept of not doing harm to others, not causing them pain, or at least harm reduction when possible. Making others suffer should be avoided. Aside from that, I get hung up on the concept of meaning because I don't think there is any meaning to the universe, nor any higher purpose, nor think that we need any kind of societal practicality aside from not doing harm. We just exist, and since we exist, we might as well make the best of it.
I like how your sets are different In each episode..here ..we are talking about Nihilism and so subtly, a picture of Barbara S. Peaking out at us from the upper left..Funny girl.. 1964..coincidentally there is a current Hollywood production, by the same name..now. -seriously, your vids keep people calm and sane..
I worked you out, You have a highly moral ideology, you almost selflessly educating people and to a very high standard, its a very honourable thing to do indeed. you really speak to the listener it's something unique.I wouldn't rate you as much of a nihilist I guess... ;) Enlighten us you do.
So much information in such a short space of time! My brain needs to take a rest...to then watch it all over again to take in what it missed the first time around 😙
Realizing that values are constructed does not need to lead to nihilism. Instead, this gives each of us the ability to create our own purpose in life. If nothing else, this could be built on human nature and psychological studies that show that what instinctively seems to make most humans happy is caring for others.
The matrix is extremely helpful! While watching, I was thinking about how I could categorize your concepts into a table but I was too focused on what you were saying to properly complete the thought. The “categorization junkie” in me is feeling like a child on Christmas with this :)
Hey man. I appreciate your videos. They are very interesting, and easier to take in than a lengthy philosophical book. I apologize that I am not subscribing at the moment(I have a fear of online interaction, so I don't really have an online presence(no Facebook, etc.), I don't normally even comment on anything(once in a blue moon)). I might subscribe at some point though. And keep making your videos. And have a wonderful day😁.
His video was great but I think there needs to be even more information about how dangerous and wrong nihilism truely is. Like we know, most people think Nietzsche was a nihilist, although he was stricly against nihilism and thought of it as the greatest danger for humanity ever. It is a poison that needs to be overcome.
Notice how most people in America only started revolting against society when they couldn’t enjoy their mundane lives anymore during the pandemic. It doesn’t matter that corruption, greed, social injustices, and mental illness, etc. were at an all time high. It only bothered them that they can’t enjoy their typical “bread and circuses” anymore and so they revolted for causes that didn’t even personally affect them. People only unite if it affects the masses deeply, otherwise the problem isn’t big enough to worry about until it’s too late.
I reached a point where I've concluded that we are not in a position to answer the question of meaning properly. From where we stand, the questions themselves are nonsensical. What does it even mean to ask what the "utlimate" meaning of life is or if it exists? How would we even know if we disovered what it was? It doesn't seem like we have a context in which such an exerpience would be possible to decifer. Our perceptions and ability to understand is too limited, which means that even if there were an 'ultimate meaning,' it's silly to presume we'd recognize it, let alone be able to comprehend it. Or perhaps it's so simple that we don't notice it at all. It could be like looking for your keys all over the house while they're in your pocket.
As a depression patient for over 15 years now, I can safely say that you're more correct than you think about total practical nihilism. The core of the state of being is deeply tied to value statements, and the untreated progression could be described somewhat accurately as a self perpetuating cycle continuously eroding them in a core way. Beginning with the mere erosion of confidence in value statements and terminating in their conceptual discreditation. The symptoms and behaviors are in a very real way an outward expression of that internal belief.
Sometimes they just reinforce the false beleifs fostered by the depression. I've been clinically depressed for all my life, and there were times when I was a true nihilist, in its purest form, I truly hated everyone, the world and all existence. Not just a rejection of the world, but the conclusion 'it must be got rid of'. Luckily my depression is inward, only destroying myself. Though, I wouldn't go as far to say I was entirely incorrect.
@@DJWESG1 Jung used to say depression is like a lady in black. Should she choose to knock on your door, it's best to invite her in fix some coffee and see what she's got to say. Takes guts to hang in there m8. Just try not to forget that self hatred is like splatterpaint. Yours isn't the shirt that gets dirty. And if it is, I'd respond that painting is more fun with friends. You're doing great.
you have the same way of looking at Nihilism as mine as i see it has an extreme form of Nihilism which they believe in nothing and reject every values, even subjective value because that’s existentialism. My take on Nihilism is that, no one could EVER be a Nihilist because they are existing and because of that having moral values as our society has set for us and belief as they have consciousness and that drives to taking their own lives if they can’t accept the absurd reality and still want to cling on their logical mind. So if you ever claim yourself to be Nihilists, then you simply reject your existence as you are still existing, and how can someone reject something if they believe in nothing and not existing? And because of that Nihilism is NOT EXISTING because it’s so absurd and paradoxical just as life is. I personally see Nihilism as if it’s a spectrum that envelops everything. For humans to step upon Existentialism and Absurdism or any ism you would want to believe in because life is inherently meaningless so they would love to do anything that makes them feel or satisfy their logical mind. It’s alll Absurddddd 💀. That’s just my subjective view.
For me nihilism is simply the value of unvaluing. lowering a value of something can and often does help in many struggles in life. After all philosophy is mostly a way to help us cope with hardships of fate.
The one thing which must have value is value; value must be reflexive. If value itself has no value, then no value statements are relevant. If you assert the axiom that value is reflexive, generating value and assigning value becomes important. Subjective beings generate and/or assign value. Thus if value is reflexive, life has value insofar as it contributes to the "value game" We don't need objective value. Subjective value and value reflexivity are all we need to build a coherent moral philosophy. Even if nihilism is true, subjective value and value reflexivity are a foundation upon which to build meaningful existence.
Looking at the case of a theoretical nihilist, I believe we've all absorbed the contextual world which would subsequently continue to counteract our drive towards practical nihilism. There's something called optimism bias and survival instinct - all these come with the contextual world we live in.
I'd like to politely throw in my two cents. Nihilism can kinda be interpreted in different ways, and that interpretation part can really make or break a person's life. The idea of meaning is entirely subjective, and people can take the phrase "nothing matters" a million different ways. It's a comforting thing for me, but it can absolutely diminish another person's will to live. In the end, I take solace in nihilism, but I'm not saying it's always a source of comfort.
Nihilism. Ah… the question that left me awake many nights, wondering if there even is a reason for me being here 11:20 as someone who struggles to do something I know is good for me, I can very much relate to this 😅
I am a meta meta-ethical relativist, there are no absolute truths about whether or not values have truth values. But I think it doesn’t matter whether or not values are true or false, the only thing that matters is what we value. If you look at the world, you can see that all living beings exhibit a behavior which I would call the drive to growth. This drive to growth manifest itself in the form of bodily growth, reproductive growth, growth of one’s abilities and growth of one’s power. If the essence of survival is self-sustainance then the essence of life is growth. Life that merely survives is not healthy, it’s stagnation is a sickness that slowly erodes life. So I wish to call that what is useful for the growth of life healthy and that what inhibits growth sick. This is for me, the meaning of life, and it is defined by greatness.
Things are actually very very relative to context and situations and different people so nihilism is a valid idea. Existential and absurdism seem a good balance to it though
I think the overall nihilism is most biggest problem. As you can chart nations with GDP, you can chart them by overall nihilism. It shows out as overall littering and disregard for contracts, honor and human life and how other humans view their life.
For me, nihilism is the rejection of the whole category (e.g. God). It's not that I value the category (in this case, God) less or in an infinitesimally small way. I just do not believe in the category of God. THAT is the void. But I still like your approach of making the concept of nihilism more accessible.
Exactly, I commented something similar. The act of choosing what to be nihilistic about within a category implies that you associate vale to its parts. For example, I find it fine to be nihilistic about social norms and rejecting the whole concept, but disagreeing with only some of them is the opposite of nihilism, as in doing so you are effectively assigning value to the alternatives.
i think double entry bookkeeping helps understand the concept of "value" better than anything else because it demonstrates what value IS and what it ISNT - case in point: if i have an apple, and you have an orange and we trade, I value your orange more than i value my apple; as you value my apple more than your orang. once we have traded, we are both better off. objectively this is the highest possible "value" for both items.....however you have to start with the subjective individual evaluation of both items separately then in conjunction. i could work out the GLs for this but that is too much for a UA-cam video lol
I know there’s no real value in continuing my life because it will eventually end and I will die, yet I still wake up each day and live my life, and even enjoy most of it. Because I know there is some artificial, made up value, to me and me alone, in continuing to wake up and live life, I keep on doing it. The value I make up is that what happens between now and when I eventually die does actually matter to me (and only me) during the period of time I actually get to be alive. That’s not the same as actual value that benefits the world. It’s just benefiting me, temporarily. And again, if I’m just gonna die eventually anyway, is any of that actuslly valuable at all? Death is what drives the idea of “nothing really matters” in nihilists. And that’s probably why so many people are religious, so they can fool themselves into thinking that life never actually ends, and their consciousness gets to live on for eternity, so they don’t have to worry their tiny little heads about any of these things.
In practice, it seems like people who actually call themselves Nihilistists are just depressed and this explains why. I personally don’t think there is any value inherent in anything, but that what we call “value” is the mind “valuing”. Or, I like to say “meaning is a verb, it is something we are doing”. That said, my values haven’t changed. I still do the same things. Because rarely do we actually consciously change these. And more often, we cling to whatever thoughts seem to uphold our values and practice license our action. And THAT is WHY the depressed are Nihilistic, because it supports how they innately feel.
Have you ever considered that nihilism is not about "Nothing matters", but about "Nothing Matters"? As in Nothing is also a part of Everything and there for Nothing also matters.
Fascinating. I have long dreaded nihilism, but this did a giod job leading me through the weeds. How do you think a practical nihilist would do when taking one of the Moral Foundations Test (the work of Johnathan Haidt and co)?
In the case of eating isn't the act instinctual rather than belief or value based? One may eat because they're hungry and the urge to do so overcomes any drive to abstain or starve. One eats because starving is dreadfully uncomfortable. Of course, ethically one could avoid eating, e.g. fasting, in some religious based practice, but this moral act might be surmounted by the physical need to eat to survive. You seemed to have answered this later in the video?😅
Before I watch the video: I wouldn't cal myself a nihilist, although nihilism is probably the most accurate/closest definitionally. From my perspective, the entire universe is nothing but meaningless atoms, there is no design or intent, it is a chain of events and probabilities constantly evolving. From my perspective, this means that nothing in particular is any more meaningful than anything else that is happening. My existence does not have any more value or purpose than a random rock on mars. However that freedom allows me a blank canvas onto which I can ascribe any meaning I wish to the universe at large. If I want to ascribe intent and value from some higher being I can do so, if I want to become a monk and hermit, taking a vow of silence and alienating myself from society, I can do so too. Laws and morality would technically fall away, the only "real" thing in the end, WOULD be the context that we place on the world around us. I can see why that is a frightening or morbid view to many, but in my mind, it is freeing. It provides our own actions with even more meaning. If literally nothing means anything, then the only thing in the universe that matters is the choices we make.
I'm still not sure what kind of nihilist I am, but I know it doesn't matter. Seriously though, I'd say I'm somewhere between Diogenes and Nietzsche on the more practical side, though honestly my own view is going to be biased due to being creature with biological needs. Like you said, the distinction between theoretical and practical is an important one, and my more extreme nihilistic beliefs are all theoretical, more conceptual from the view of "the universe" rather than from my personal perspective of a being within the universe. When you zoom back in to humanity, I'm not about to go and live like Diogenes. I wouldn't judge anyone who did, because ultimately I do believe them, but being able to separate that animal brain with needs and drives to fulfill those needs, and the logical theoretical side of the idea is a difficult task, especially when your biological systems are developed explicitly to seek out these aspects of the universe as a byproduct of existing.
Maybe 'design and intent' are apart from 'meaning'. To say atoms are meaningless is quote wrong. By simply studying the atom we give it meaning. Maybe what you mean is 'value'? How we value the meanings we apply to things?
You could also say (as many said before) that all the world is a stage and all the men and women merely its players. And precisely THIS is the meaning of it - to provide a stage for us to be able to learn and develope our consciousness on the basis of our choises and deeds (and their consequences). When somebody sais that the universe has no meanin, he in fact says "I have no meaning, nothing what I do has any meaning" - which is of course a cheap alibi for doing nothin or doing wrong.
Nietzsche warned us about the dangers of absolute nihilism. The nihilism Nietzsche perceived was supposed to be founded upon ethical values and practicality, driven by a renewed set of principles determined through logical hypothesis as opposed to absolute orthodoxy. Nietzsche was more of a reformist, best described as a practical nihilist, rather than being a nihilist in the verbatim connotation. After his death, a lot of his work was distorted by his sister, some of which were not even penned by Nietzsche.
She does get the blame for a lot of it. But you can read clearly in his own words that he was a bat5hit nazi too. I think they used her to make him look like the abused sibling, to make his writing seem more palatable. I see no distinction between any of it. And you'd be hard pressed to see where his sister starts and he ends.
@@DJWESG1 What Wikipedia has to say: Broadly speaking, despite Nietzsche's hostility towards anti-semitism and nationalism, the Nazis made selective use of Nietzsche's philosophy, and eventually, this association caused Nietzsche's reputation to suffer following World War II. IMHO: All governments that follow radical ideologies hide their true intent behind some sugarcoated promises. Be it Nazis or Maoists or Paul Pot Communists, they all had promised to bring staggering positive changes to society. After winning people's favour, they went after those who were utilised to fulfil the agenda. Germany had not been any better even before WW1. Nietzsche was arrested for showing empathy towards a horse. Nazis didn't do anything different when they entered Poland. Soviets' actions were no different when they entered Berlin. And, the USA's bombing of Berlin's civilians, which annihilated the Berlin Zoo was no different. An agitator's promise is never meant to be delivered. They're there to take advantage of the democratic ladder. Hitler was one of those examples. Not every revolutionary who turned into a politician had the intention of serving the people. Initially, they make fools of people. In that sense, India was a die-hard supporter of Communism after WW2. We failed to anticipate how that thing would turn out to be in reality. Did Nitzsche support Nazism? I guess, the answer will be somewhat of an indirect no. Nazis used Nietzsche the way they used Hinduism's Swastika and the British Aryan Invasion theory. Even his sister was compelled to support Nazis. Will you be allowed to speak against Kim in North Korea even today? According to Wikipedia: The era of Nazi rule (1933-1945) saw Nietzsche's writings widely studied in German (and, after 1938, Austrian) schools and universities. Despite the fact that Nietzsche had expressed his disgust with plebeian-volkist antisemitism and supremacist German nationalism in the most forthright terms possible (e.g. he resolved "to have nothing to do with anyone involved in the perfidious race-fraud"), phrases like "the will to power" became common in Nazi circles. The wide popularity of Nietzsche among Nazis stemmed in part from the endeavors of his sister, Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, the editor of Nietzsche's work after his 1889 breakdown, and an eventual Nazi sympathizer. Mazzino Montinari, while editing Nietzsche's posthumous works in the 1960s, found that Förster-Nietzsche, while editing the posthumous fragments making up The Will to Power, had cut extracts, changed their order, quoted him out of context, etc.[29]
This video came out just in time when I was thinking about this topic lol))) No living thing can be considered a nihilist because its existence contradicts nihilism itself. I used to consider myself a nihilist myself until I realized I was deeply mistaken about it. A true nihilist is only one who does not exist. The nothingness and impossibility of something may be attractive to us, but it is literally impossible and non-existent and we just have to accept this fact. Thank you for your reflection on the topic!
When luxury beliefs spill over outside the field that generated them, we get leaps and bounds of technological progress, yet the foundations of a community are left behind. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Nietzsche? If there ever was a disease affecting billions, and causing them to suffer - it is nihilism. I had admired that idea, prayed to be a source of one such, yet didn't accept to look people in the eyes knowing what I'll contract them with. Still, can't stop marveling at Nihilism, in the form of a mind disease, as a work of divine art. Thank you, Joe.
Humans are meaning-creators. Perhaps the seemingly meaningless nature of the reality we inhabit is purposeful in that the meaninglessness allows us to create genuine meaning that is deeply important to us. If we choose to.
2:36 the definitions of terms in vids like this always throw me off bc I don't feel like I've ever looked at nihilism in that way and by your definition your discussion would be way off of what I would be talking about and I see that with a lot of vids. I mean that could be bc I'm just ignorant AF about all these texts n stuff but I like to think it's more due to perception, but that could be bc I'm ignorant lol. Oh and one of the biggest things is that is the definition you are using the same as the one from those whom you quote about the topic? If not then they technically aren't talking about the same thing lol.
Noooo, he wasn't a nihilist. Maybe only in the eyes of those he barked at. He was none conformist, antisocial, and seemingly ugly in a multitude of ways, but he knew of the light.
I would argue that the cherry-picking of moral values or social conventions is actually at the opposite end of nihilism, as the act of choosing implies the assignment of value.
The term "nihilism", in the context of philosophy, actually is a reference to the condition that arises given the impartial application of reason; and it is impossible to really have a firm grasp of what the term "nihilism" refers to or means (in the context of philosophy, particularly in the context of western philosophy) if one does not have an understanding of the sources of that term in a philosophical context. The description given in the video above of the term "nihilism" is a quite superficial one (although it is not entirely incorrect), and is incomplete simply because it does not consider the sources of that term: to fully understand the meaning of "nihilism", in a philosophical context, one must regard F.H. Jacobi's analysis of "nihilism", and his insistence that reason, impartially applied, leads to the condition described by Hume at the close of the first book of his Treatise of Human Nature. Though the description of "nihilism" given in the video above is not entirely incorrect or inaccurate, it is superficial and does not do full justice to the philosophical context of that term ("nihilism"), since Jacobi's analysis is not considered, and since the skepticism of Hume is never mentioned.
I agree that they can give important context (I actually reference the historical context along similar lines briefly in the video). I was just more interested in giving a conceptual analysis for use in conversation, rather than giving a historical account. Ultimately I would argue to understand nihilism from a historical perspective you would have to go much farther back, and look at the treatment of mortality in The Epic of Gilgamesh, and certainly later themes in Ecclesiastes, as well as the notion of the inevitable in Ancient Greek tragedy. I fear beginning with Hume and Jacobi would not be going nearly as far back as one would need for philosophical context. I fear giving the origins of nihilistic philosophy as originating in Humean empiricism would also be superficial as far as giving philosophical context goes.
It is the optimistic nihilist that you are referring to as far as theoretical nihilism goes. They know the world has no meaning and beliefs have no meaning, but they do something anyway because it is part of being a human. It is that innate spark to spit in the OId One's tentacles before they slip into the unyielding madness of what the universe actually is.
well some people attain enlightenment through the optimistic nihilist belief, like "my worries aren't consequential enough for the eternity" and be rid of malevolent degrees of sadness caused through concerns
Ah, that's interesting. I suppose people normally use the terms interchangeably but elucidating the distinction might be really helpful for discussions
@LiamCantArt Just like everything under moral relativism Nihilism/Absurdism is entirely subjective as in just differing opinions so whatever his response is no more valid than that of a serial killer or genocidal maniac and there's no intrinsic value or difference between the 2 other than again entirely subjective opinion.
@@RoyCyberPunk And if there where objective values, and they would demand from us to maximize misery for its own sake, why would anyone in their right mind follow their advice?
@Everywhere4 Except there's not a single objective Golden Rule Judeo-Christian value that even remotely aims at that. All that you are proposing is a non-existent philosophical hypothetical that pardon me but sounds as improbable as trying to imagine ourselves with the positions of our bodies heads and genitals reversed with the genitals on top of the neck and the head between our legs.🤷🏾♂️
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Would love to see your view on the diamond sutra
I'd like to add one more, one I discovered about four years ago, when I was 13. I'd like to call it absolute Nihilism and the first thing is that, in it's true form, absolute nihilism isn't even theoretically describable. Descartes said you know for sure that you yourself exist and may it be just in the moment you realize that you think, but I don't think so, I think that whatever would be manipulating me has complete control over logical thinking, therefore "I" don't have to be, yet "something'" has to. The Problem is that "something" doesn't describe the absurdity of how little about it I actually know, because I know nothing and I cannot say that I cannot describe "it" because that designates "it" therefore, reminding of the famous saying "the boundaries of my language are the boundaries of my world" I cannot describe absolute nihilism, because everything, even "I think, therefore I am" is built on this fundamental trust into what I cannot linguistically distance myself from being trustworthy. Absolute Nihilism rejects any trust or should I say "belief", therefore I not only have to reject belief in the physical reality, which the rejection of is some interstage in between total and absolute nihilism, but also belief in what I cannot even describe (none of this comes close because it is not possible to get any close than infinitely far from describing absolute nihilism). From this revelation comes my opinion, that conscious live, existence, being is not only impossible without belief in the unprovable, but also in the undescribable. Luckily I have always been Christian and therefore had my belief in god to prevent me from becoming a practicing absolute nihilist. From all this I also derive that rationality, which I was obsessed with and which led to me to this, is a dead end without belief and therefore useless without belief and the meaning of life, which is to not be a practicing absolute nihilist and therefore to believe in something, anything at all and in extension, to act consciously on the basis of this belief. I choose to trust and believe in god.
I get so excited every time you post a video! I appreciate you, you have helped me grow and helped more than you will ever know. I sincerely say Thank you. PLEASE DONT STOP!
Ah thank you so much! I hope you like this one!
One of the most articulated and well spoken content creater, Please do suggest how to improve communication skills and get anywhere near you.
Ah thank you! And I am not sure - I spend a lot of time on the scripts to try and make them as clear as possible. There was a book I found really helpful to improve my writing, but I can't remember the name. I'll have a look
Yet he puts subtitles
@@JamieGreen-it2ofwhich are welcome even if not necessary
He is so good at speaking, explaining, and teaching-he’s in fire. I’ll say it again: the best channel on UA-cam because of the excellent content and the great content creator. From California.
@@unsolicitedadvice9198 could you please share the title of the booom that helped you become so eloquent?
I gotta say, the way you annunciate and phrase your sentences with vigor and emotion always gives my brain the proper cue to LISTEN. man, these days youtubers will talk in a very monotone or low-energy voice... and that's only if they're not using an AI to read aloud. the words fall right out of my brain but yours stick like high-energy thought-glue. Bravo
Thank you! I get quite excited recording these so it can become a bit exaggerated at points!
Given the state of the philosophical side of people, there's a potential to bring ... Salvation to personal meaning crisis
Personally i can't stand the way he speaks so i download the subtitle and get Textaloud to read it to me.
@@fencepanelist perhaps you see beyond the need for emphasis and straight to the point of information. However way you integrate other's ideas works. but never forget that grain of salt.
I'm adopting the phrase thought-glue. It is quite good! :)
I am a nihilist, but I am motivated by the possibility of being mistaken.
I like this
I am a nihilist but i don't see the "nothing matters" in a negative way but rather in a nothing matters do what you really want to do because at the end even if you don't take anything with at least you weren't unhappy living obediently by the meaningless rules of the world.
Then you are not nihilist. Nihilist would reject the happiness itself@@Alessandro-qp2cn
You have no reason to give in to this „philosophy“. It makes the same leap of faith that religion does. Gap of knowledge means nothing, thinking we know it all in 2024 is arrogance.
@@Alessandro-qp2cn isn't this called the philosophy of absurdism?
I’ve came up with the term “involuntary nihilist” to describe myself bc I HATE that nothing actually matters in the long run but I try my hardest to find meaning and value in my life/the world. Despite my brain trying its hardest to constantly remind me that nothing matters.
There is no evidence that logically is a proof of nihilism being correct. It might be wrong. Gap of knowledge can't be enough to jump of a conclusion. If this philosophy is not yours and it makes you feel bad, just don't accept it / don't give in to it. Lots of claims were made in the history of humanity, many were wrong. Theres tons of stuff we do not know about existence and the universe. It is quite arrogant and childish to truely believe that we have figured it all out, everything is meaningless, bla bla bla.
Stay humble and open minded. There are things you and me can't even imagine now, that will be discovered within the next 1000 years. So, lets enjoy our journey and work together to bring humanity forward! The children of our children might have way more knowledge about the universe and the meaning of life than we do. Damn, science does not even know what consciousness is and how it works. Just 8 months ago, new research shows that the heat death of the universe might be a wrong theory. Don't fall for people who make claims about whats true, they don't know and they might be wrong :)
Stay open minded and humble, keep on living and enjoying your life & bringing humanity forward❤
There is no evidence that logically is a proof of nihilism being correct. It might be wrong. Gap of knowledge can't be enough to jump of a conclusion. If this philosophy is not yours and it makes you feel bad, just don't accept it / don't give in to it. Lots of claims were made in the history of humanity, many were wrong. Theres tons of stuff we do not know about existence and the universe. It is quite arrogant and childish to truely believe that we have figured it all out, everything is meaningless, bla bla bla.
Stay humble and open minded. There are things you and me can't even imagine now, that will be discovered within the next 1000 years. So, lets enjoy our journey and work together to bring humanity forward! The children of our children might have way more knowledge about the universe and the meaning of life than we do. Damn, science does not even know what consciousness is and how it works. Just 8 months ago, new research shows that the heat death of the universe might be a wrong theory. Don't fall for people who make claims about whats true, they don't know and they might be wrong :)
Stay open minded and humble, keep on living and enjoying your life & bringing humanity forward❤
Accept and learn to live with what your brain is telling you. Learn to live means not giving in to despair but realizing you have to do everything yourself from scratch, you'll have to actively create your own meaning and purpose in life because that's the only thing that will do. IOW don't look for new values but create them by yourself and for yourself.
@@JerehmiaBoazwell said man
I've used the term "reluctant nihilist."
To me existentialism is like a medicine for nihilism. Man is constantly trying to avoid the experience of meaninglessness. Like Levinas' describes it with the state of "il y a". He states that we experience nihilism in boredom, we experience absurd thoughts like the fact that we have a random amount of fingers. All we do after that is construct a life to avoid this experience.
Nihilism has no medicine. Existentialism is a cope.
@@agnibeshbasu3089religion
I believe that medicine to nihilism is psychosynthesis. I think nihilists do not have connection to their Self. Its hard to imagine a nihilist that feels the self/soul as that is theological in it's nature
@@agnibeshbasu3089same thing
I'm quite good with meaninglessness. I don't mind not knowing the meaning or getting the meaning incorrect. Some ppl go a bit over the top with it all.
Just to let you know, I found your youtube channel yesterday and have been binge-watching your videos since then. Keep making great content!
I find great comfort in your videos
Ah thank you! I am glad
Ominous comment given your account
@@samueloak1600thats what I thought
I find great comfort in nihilism. When nothing holds intrinsic meaning, I feel liberated to live life on my own terms, pursuing the things I truly desire. In my opinion, it's a really good way to view life. :)
It's dangerous
Everthing is meaningless,all things turn to nothing and disappears.Return to zero
your channel has been growing a lot recently, doesnt surprise me. your content is admirable, keep up the good work dude.
Some of these descriptions fit society better than individuals.
Thank you from Moscow.
Subscribed.
Shared with my friends.
Your thoughts and the way you convey the philosophies is so damn good.
I really admired you❤
I love this guy’s quarter zip sweaters. It’s his work attire and he slays everyday.
This is incredible, one of my favoruite video of yours so far!
Thank you!
dude, do you remember the villain from Yu-Gi-Oh? The white-haired fella, "Pegasus"?... You sound just like him; it is dope and adds to your thought-provoking videos.
Full theoretical nihilist here.
The reason nihilists in theory have these ideologies but do not act on them is based on the philosophy itself. "Nothing matters". It applies to everything. Not doing something because everything is meaningless is just as meaningless. Literally, if nothing has meaning, then nothingness is just as meaningless. If eating is meaningless, starving yourself is just as void of meaning.
It can be maddening.
But that is why there is no point in practical nihilism. Nothing matters whether you're practical about it and rot away, or not. Just as void. So doing things, despite their lack of meaning, is just as meaningless but it isn't stagnation.
And that is the distinction. Meaninglessness is not the same as stagnation. Stagnation is nothingness. And everything isn't nothing, nothingness is part of everything. Nothingness doesn't entail meaninglessness. That's why most theoretical nihilists still go about life living like most despite the inherent lack of meaning in anything.
Without humanity, there wouldn't be meaning applied to anything. But everything will still continue on beyond stagnation anyway.
I’ve been watching you lately, thank you for sharing your thoughts I love your interpretation. I follow many philosophy accounts and I feel you have shot to the top of my favorites, even more so than Academy of Ideas & they’re the ones who introduced me to philosophy. Keep it up thank you so much
The best question is:
Does life even need a meaning? It will all be gone anyway. Who will even remember one's existence in 200 years or so? Right, nobody will (well, except if you are quite famous or influencial).
That's one of the many reasons I'm an Existential Nihilist. Of course I'm not a total Nihilist. For me the position is more like: I think life has no value or meaning, but I don't care. I don't need my life to have any meaning because I will be forgotten anyway. No one will remember if or what value my life had.
I’ve always struggled to understand Nihilism and as a result how to feel about this philosophy of existentialism. This video provides perspective and clarification into this realm of philosophy. Thanks 🤩
keep up the good stuff man!
Ah thank you!
Very enjoyable video, just one note - that (possibly AI-based) captioning suite makes the video worse because words appear on screen without rhyme or reason, surely if you'dve done it yourself or configured it properly it wouldn't be as bad as it is
Just found this channel and I subscribed. This is awesome dude keep it up!
6:31 THAT sounds like crippling depression to me lol. Greatly valuing things but not having the motivation to do anything with or about it.
Bro please make a elaborative video on how to speak articulated/eloquently.
Great video!
Existentialism next? My favorite is Sören Kierkegaard
I find this to be more helpful. Considering time is only a dimension, we understand more about our existence it raises more questions not less.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes
I'd like to add one more, one I discovered about four years ago, when I was 13. I'd like to call it absolute Nihilism and the first thing is that, in it's true form, absolute nihilism isn't even theoretically describable. Decarte said you know for sure that you yourself exist and may it be just in the moment you realize that you think, but I don't think so, I think that whatever would be manipulating me has complete control over logical thinking, therefore "I" don't have to be, yet "something'" has to. The Problem is that "something" doesn't describe the absurdity of how little about it I actually know, because I know nothing and I cannot say that I cannot describe "it" because that designates "it" therefore, reminding of the famous saying "the boundaries of my language are the boundaries of my world" I cannot describe absolute nihilism, because everything, even "I think, therefore I am" is built on this fundamental trust into what I cannot linguistically distance myself from being trustworthy. Absolute Nihilism rejects any trust or should I say "belief", therefore I not only have to reject belief in the physical reality, which the rejection of is some interstage in between total and absolute nihilism, but also belief in what I cannot even describe (none of this comes close because it is not possible to get any close than infinitely far from describing absolute nihilism). From this revelation comes my opinion, that conscious live, existence, being is not only impossible without belief in the unprovable, but also in the undescribable. Luckily I have always been Christian and therefore had my belief in god to prevent me from becoming a practicing absolute nihilist. From all this I also derive that rationality, which I was obsessed with and which led to me to this, is a dead end without belief and therefore useless without belief and the meaning of life, which is to not be a practicing absolute nihilist and therefore to believe in something, anything at all and in extension, to act consciously on the basis of this belief. I choose to trust and believe in god.
I feel ashamed to have passed you off because of how young you looked...you've earned one more subscriber. Keep doing what you're doing
How he looks? You feeling attracted? LoL...
Interesting, as always. I often refer to myself as a nihilist, but perhaps I need another word for it since I believe in the concept of not doing harm to others, not causing them pain, or at least harm reduction when possible. Making others suffer should be avoided. Aside from that, I get hung up on the concept of meaning because I don't think there is any meaning to the universe, nor any higher purpose, nor think that we need any kind of societal practicality aside from not doing harm. We just exist, and since we exist, we might as well make the best of it.
Every living thing is designed to propogate by natural selection.
We have a higher purpose, at least insofar as a hammer does.
Not doing harm is directly against having a society to start. Weirdly.
What you describe is the opposite of being a nihilist. Stay away from that strawman sociopath philosophy
I like how your sets are different In each episode..here ..we are talking about Nihilism and so subtly, a picture of Barbara S. Peaking out at us from the upper left..Funny girl.. 1964..coincidentally there is a current Hollywood production, by the same name..now. -seriously, your vids keep people calm and sane..
I worked you out, You have a highly moral ideology, you almost selflessly educating people and to a very high standard, its a very honourable thing to do indeed. you really speak to the listener it's something unique.I wouldn't rate you as much of a nihilist I guess... ;) Enlighten us you do.
So much information in such a short space of time! My brain needs to take a rest...to then watch it all over again to take in what it missed the first time around 😙
Realizing that values are constructed does not need to lead to nihilism. Instead, this gives each of us the ability to create our own purpose in life. If nothing else, this could be built on human nature and psychological studies that show that what instinctively seems to make most humans happy is caring for others.
The matrix is extremely helpful! While watching, I was thinking about how I could categorize your concepts into a table but I was too focused on what you were saying to properly complete the thought. The “categorization junkie” in me is feeling like a child on Christmas with this :)
Yes, also see:
Children of Men
Logans Run
Zardoz
The Purge
The Star Chamber
A Brilliant Young Man.
Hey man. I appreciate your videos. They are very interesting, and easier to take in than a lengthy philosophical book. I apologize that I am not subscribing at the moment(I have a fear of online interaction, so I don't really have an online presence(no Facebook, etc.), I don't normally even comment on anything(once in a blue moon)). I might subscribe at some point though. And keep making your videos. And have a wonderful day😁.
His video was great but I think there needs to be even more information about how dangerous and wrong nihilism truely is. Like we know, most people think Nietzsche was a nihilist, although he was stricly against nihilism and thought of it as the greatest danger for humanity ever. It is a poison that needs to be overcome.
Notice how most people in America only started revolting against society when they couldn’t enjoy their mundane lives anymore during the pandemic. It doesn’t matter that corruption, greed, social injustices, and mental illness, etc. were at an all time high. It only bothered them that they can’t enjoy their typical “bread and circuses” anymore and so they revolted for causes that didn’t even personally affect them. People only unite if it affects the masses deeply, otherwise the problem isn’t big enough to worry about until it’s too late.
I want mommy I want milk I want to be held I want to be comforted
- average human
@@littleantukins4415speak for yourself
Bro is making videos faster than even i catch up to the old ones
Haha! I find writing very addictive!
Great video! I like that I learn at least one new word whenever I watch one of your vids :)
I think of Nihilism as more of a psychiatric condition than a real philosophy.
That's exactly what it is, for some just a momentary psychosis or breakdown, for others its all encompassing.
Well, who would've guessed this philosophy was way deeper than the edgy way of life I believed it to be in middle school, good work!
My ultimate reason for action or preference is choice. Because I choose to.
I reached a point where I've concluded that we are not in a position to answer the question of meaning properly. From where we stand, the questions themselves are nonsensical. What does it even mean to ask what the "utlimate" meaning of life is or if it exists? How would we even know if we disovered what it was? It doesn't seem like we have a context in which such an exerpience would be possible to decifer. Our perceptions and ability to understand is too limited, which means that even if there were an 'ultimate meaning,' it's silly to presume we'd recognize it, let alone be able to comprehend it. Or perhaps it's so simple that we don't notice it at all. It could be like looking for your keys all over the house while they're in your pocket.
As a depression patient for over 15 years now, I can safely say that you're more correct than you think about total practical nihilism. The core of the state of being is deeply tied to value statements, and the untreated progression could be described somewhat accurately as a self perpetuating cycle continuously eroding them in a core way. Beginning with the mere erosion of confidence in value statements and terminating in their conceptual discreditation. The symptoms and behaviors are in a very real way an outward expression of that internal belief.
Sometimes they just reinforce the false beleifs fostered by the depression. I've been clinically depressed for all my life, and there were times when I was a true nihilist, in its purest form, I truly hated everyone, the world and all existence. Not just a rejection of the world, but the conclusion 'it must be got rid of'. Luckily my depression is inward, only destroying myself. Though, I wouldn't go as far to say I was entirely incorrect.
@@DJWESG1 Jung used to say depression is like a lady in black. Should she choose to knock on your door, it's best to invite her in fix some coffee and see what she's got to say. Takes guts to hang in there m8. Just try not to forget that self hatred is like splatterpaint. Yours isn't the shirt that gets dirty. And if it is, I'd respond that painting is more fun with friends. You're doing great.
you have the same way of looking at Nihilism as mine as i see it has an extreme form of Nihilism which they believe in nothing and reject every values, even subjective value because that’s existentialism. My take on Nihilism is that, no one could EVER be a Nihilist because they are existing and because of that having moral values as our society has set for us and belief as they have consciousness and that drives to taking their own lives if they can’t accept the absurd reality and still want to cling on their logical mind. So if you ever claim yourself to be Nihilists, then you simply reject your existence as you are still existing, and how can someone reject something if they believe in nothing and not existing? And because of that Nihilism is NOT EXISTING because it’s so absurd and paradoxical just as life is. I personally see Nihilism as if it’s a spectrum that envelops everything. For humans to step upon Existentialism and Absurdism or any ism you would want to believe in because life is inherently meaningless so they would love to do anything that makes them feel or satisfy their logical mind. It’s alll Absurddddd 💀. That’s just my subjective view.
For me nihilism is simply the value of unvaluing. lowering a value of something can and often does help in many struggles in life. After all philosophy is mostly a way to help us cope with hardships of fate.
Isn’t the statement “there is no truth” a contradictory statement? Therefore just ignore it?
Interesting timing, as I am reading “Being and Nothingness” atm.
Hi joe, great video. But would love one on eastern philosophy
Philosophy is super abstract. I’m scratching my head a most of these concepts
You may have lice.
@@DJWESG1You may have autism.
@@DJWESG1Philosophical lice. Like Plato.😁
Love the analysis of Nihilism. I felt that I would follow your thoughts more easily if you could speak slower
The one thing which must have value is value; value must be reflexive. If value itself has no value, then no value statements are relevant.
If you assert the axiom that value is reflexive, generating value and assigning value becomes important.
Subjective beings generate and/or assign value.
Thus if value is reflexive, life has value insofar as it contributes to the "value game"
We don't need objective value. Subjective value and value reflexivity are all we need to build a coherent moral philosophy.
Even if nihilism is true, subjective value and value reflexivity are a foundation upon which to build meaningful existence.
Honey wake up, king uploaded a new video 🗿
God Save The King
Looking at the case of a theoretical nihilist, I believe we've all absorbed the contextual world which would subsequently continue to counteract our drive towards practical nihilism. There's something called optimism bias and survival instinct - all these come with the contextual world we live in.
I'd like to politely throw in my two cents.
Nihilism can kinda be interpreted in different ways, and that interpretation part can really make or break a person's life. The idea of meaning is entirely subjective, and people can take the phrase "nothing matters" a million different ways. It's a comforting thing for me, but it can absolutely diminish another person's will to live. In the end, I take solace in nihilism, but I'm not saying it's always a source of comfort.
You bless my explore page everyday
Great video and keep it up!! 👍
Nihilism. Ah… the question that left me awake many nights, wondering if there even is a reason for me being here
11:20 as someone who struggles to do something I know is good for me, I can very much relate to this 😅
I am a meta meta-ethical relativist, there are no absolute truths about whether or not values have truth values.
But I think it doesn’t matter whether or not values are true or false, the only thing that matters is what we value.
If you look at the world, you can see that all living beings exhibit a behavior which I would call the drive to growth.
This drive to growth manifest itself in the form of bodily growth, reproductive growth, growth of one’s abilities and growth of one’s power.
If the essence of survival is self-sustainance then the essence of life is growth.
Life that merely survives is not healthy, it’s stagnation is a sickness that slowly erodes life.
So I wish to call that what is useful for the growth of life healthy and that what inhibits growth sick.
This is for me, the meaning of life, and it is defined by greatness.
Things are actually very very relative to context and situations and different people so nihilism is a valid idea. Existential and absurdism seem a good balance to it though
I think the overall nihilism is most biggest problem.
As you can chart nations with GDP, you can chart them by overall nihilism. It shows out as overall littering and disregard for contracts, honor and human life and how other humans view their life.
For me, nihilism is the rejection of the whole category (e.g. God). It's not that I value the category (in this case, God) less or in an infinitesimally small way. I just do not believe in the category of God. THAT is the void. But I still like your approach of making the concept of nihilism more accessible.
Exactly, I commented something similar. The act of choosing what to be nihilistic about within a category implies that you associate vale to its parts. For example, I find it fine to be nihilistic about social norms and rejecting the whole concept, but disagreeing with only some of them is the opposite of nihilism, as in doing so you are effectively assigning value to the alternatives.
They made it about god. Its got nothing to do with God's, monsters or the beleif in them.
@DJWESG1 I don't think so. They used God only as an example.
i think double entry bookkeeping helps understand the concept of "value" better than anything else because it demonstrates what value IS and what it ISNT - case in point:
if i have an apple, and you have an orange and we trade, I value your orange more than i value my apple; as you value my apple more than your orang. once we have traded, we are both better off. objectively this is the highest possible "value" for both items.....however you have to start with the subjective individual evaluation of both items separately then in conjunction. i could work out the GLs for this but that is too much for a UA-cam video lol
My beautiful philosopher is back with Nihilism.
I know there’s no real value in continuing my life because it will eventually end and I will die, yet I still wake up each day and live my life, and even enjoy most of it. Because I know there is some artificial, made up value, to me and me alone, in continuing to wake up and live life, I keep on doing it. The value I make up is that what happens between now and when I eventually die does actually matter to me (and only me) during the period of time I actually get to be alive. That’s not the same as actual value that benefits the world. It’s just benefiting me, temporarily. And again, if I’m just gonna die eventually anyway, is any of that actuslly valuable at all? Death is what drives the idea of “nothing really matters” in nihilists. And that’s probably why so many people are religious, so they can fool themselves into thinking that life never actually ends, and their consciousness gets to live on for eternity, so they don’t have to worry their tiny little heads about any of these things.
John Goodman said it all while talking to the Nihilists at the bowling alley parking lot.
this really help me, thank!
Thank you! I hope it provides at least the sketch of a clear framework
In practice, it seems like people who actually call themselves Nihilistists are just depressed and this explains why.
I personally don’t think there is any value inherent in anything, but that what we call “value” is the mind “valuing”. Or, I like to say “meaning is a verb, it is something we are doing”.
That said, my values haven’t changed. I still do the same things. Because rarely do we actually consciously change these. And more often, we cling to whatever thoughts seem to uphold our values and practice license our action.
And THAT is WHY the depressed are Nihilistic, because it supports how they innately feel.
Have you ever considered that nihilism is not about "Nothing matters", but about "Nothing Matters"?
As in Nothing is also a part of Everything and there for Nothing also matters.
Fascinating. I have long dreaded nihilism, but this did a giod job leading me through the weeds.
How do you think a practical nihilist would do when taking one of the Moral Foundations Test (the work of Johnathan Haidt and co)?
so it’s the main reason why religion was created for prevention of nihilism , i will stand with nihilism , because it’s my ideology .
In the case of eating isn't the act instinctual rather than belief or value based? One may eat because they're hungry and the urge to do so overcomes any drive to abstain or starve. One eats because starving is dreadfully uncomfortable. Of course, ethically one could avoid eating, e.g. fasting, in some religious based practice, but this moral act might be surmounted by the physical need to eat to survive.
You seemed to have answered this later in the video?😅
I would like to hear the unsolicited advice of people on this topic
Before I watch the video: I wouldn't cal myself a nihilist, although nihilism is probably the most accurate/closest definitionally. From my perspective, the entire universe is nothing but meaningless atoms, there is no design or intent, it is a chain of events and probabilities constantly evolving. From my perspective, this means that nothing in particular is any more meaningful than anything else that is happening. My existence does not have any more value or purpose than a random rock on mars. However that freedom allows me a blank canvas onto which I can ascribe any meaning I wish to the universe at large. If I want to ascribe intent and value from some higher being I can do so, if I want to become a monk and hermit, taking a vow of silence and alienating myself from society, I can do so too. Laws and morality would technically fall away, the only "real" thing in the end, WOULD be the context that we place on the world around us.
I can see why that is a frightening or morbid view to many, but in my mind, it is freeing. It provides our own actions with even more meaning. If literally nothing means anything, then the only thing in the universe that matters is the choices we make.
I'm still not sure what kind of nihilist I am, but I know it doesn't matter.
Seriously though, I'd say I'm somewhere between Diogenes and Nietzsche on the more practical side, though honestly my own view is going to be biased due to being creature with biological needs.
Like you said, the distinction between theoretical and practical is an important one, and my more extreme nihilistic beliefs are all theoretical, more conceptual from the view of "the universe" rather than from my personal perspective of a being within the universe. When you zoom back in to humanity, I'm not about to go and live like Diogenes. I wouldn't judge anyone who did, because ultimately I do believe them, but being able to separate that animal brain with needs and drives to fulfill those needs, and the logical theoretical side of the idea is a difficult task, especially when your biological systems are developed explicitly to seek out these aspects of the universe as a byproduct of existing.
Maybe 'design and intent' are apart from 'meaning'. To say atoms are meaningless is quote wrong. By simply studying the atom we give it meaning.
Maybe what you mean is 'value'? How we value the meanings we apply to things?
You could also say (as many said before) that all the world is a stage and all the men and women merely its players. And precisely THIS is the meaning of it - to provide a stage for us to be able to learn and develope our consciousness on the basis of our choises and deeds (and their consequences).
When somebody sais that the universe has no meanin, he in fact says "I have no meaning, nothing what I do has any meaning" - which is of course a cheap alibi for doing nothin or doing wrong.
Great video
At 8:24 tho all I thought was “BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM” iykyk
Nietzsche warned us about the dangers of absolute nihilism. The nihilism Nietzsche perceived was supposed to be founded upon ethical values and practicality, driven by a renewed set of principles determined through logical hypothesis as opposed to absolute orthodoxy. Nietzsche was more of a reformist, best described as a practical nihilist, rather than being a nihilist in the verbatim connotation. After his death, a lot of his work was distorted by his sister, some of which were not even penned by Nietzsche.
She does get the blame for a lot of it. But you can read clearly in his own words that he was a bat5hit nazi too. I think they used her to make him look like the abused sibling, to make his writing seem more palatable. I see no distinction between any of it. And you'd be hard pressed to see where his sister starts and he ends.
@@DJWESG1 What Wikipedia has to say:
Broadly speaking, despite Nietzsche's hostility towards anti-semitism and nationalism, the Nazis made selective use of Nietzsche's philosophy, and eventually, this association caused Nietzsche's reputation to suffer following World War II.
IMHO: All governments that follow radical ideologies hide their true intent behind some sugarcoated promises. Be it Nazis or Maoists or Paul Pot Communists, they all had promised to bring staggering positive changes to society. After winning people's favour, they went after those who were utilised to fulfil the agenda. Germany had not been any better even before WW1. Nietzsche was arrested for showing empathy towards a horse. Nazis didn't do anything different when they entered Poland. Soviets' actions were no different when they entered Berlin. And, the USA's bombing of Berlin's civilians, which annihilated the Berlin Zoo was no different. An agitator's promise is never meant to be delivered. They're there to take advantage of the democratic ladder. Hitler was one of those examples. Not every revolutionary who turned into a politician had the intention of serving the people. Initially, they make fools of people. In that sense, India was a die-hard supporter of Communism after WW2. We failed to anticipate how that thing would turn out to be in reality. Did Nitzsche support Nazism? I guess, the answer will be somewhat of an indirect no. Nazis used Nietzsche the way they used Hinduism's Swastika and the British Aryan Invasion theory. Even his sister was compelled to support Nazis. Will you be allowed to speak against Kim in North Korea even today? According to Wikipedia:
The era of Nazi rule (1933-1945) saw Nietzsche's writings widely studied in German (and, after 1938, Austrian) schools and universities. Despite the fact that Nietzsche had expressed his disgust with plebeian-volkist antisemitism and supremacist German nationalism in the most forthright terms possible (e.g. he resolved "to have nothing to do with anyone involved in the perfidious race-fraud"), phrases like "the will to power" became common in Nazi circles. The wide popularity of Nietzsche among Nazis stemmed in part from the endeavors of his sister, Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, the editor of Nietzsche's work after his 1889 breakdown, and an eventual Nazi sympathizer. Mazzino Montinari, while editing Nietzsche's posthumous works in the 1960s, found that Förster-Nietzsche, while editing the posthumous fragments making up The Will to Power, had cut extracts, changed their order, quoted him out of context, etc.[29]
"Nietzsche was a psychopath" -
Fjodor Michailowitsch Dostojewski
3:00 Isn't the idea that objective value is nonexistent; total nihilistic can still have their subjective values.
Hi! nice video :)
Thank you!
0:11 The meaning of Life is to Live for the 'After-Death' (A.K.A. 'After-Life')...for the POSSIBILITY of it's Existence
This video came out just in time when I was thinking about this topic lol)))
No living thing can be considered a nihilist because its existence contradicts nihilism itself. I used to consider myself a nihilist myself until I realized I was deeply mistaken about it. A true nihilist is only one who does not exist. The nothingness and impossibility of something may be attractive to us, but it is literally impossible and non-existent and we just have to accept this fact.
Thank you for your reflection on the topic!
I know some anhedonia sufferers and they are total nihilists.
When luxury beliefs spill over outside the field that generated them, we get leaps and bounds of technological progress, yet the foundations of a community are left behind.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Nietzsche?
If there ever was a disease affecting billions, and causing them to suffer - it is nihilism.
I had admired that idea, prayed to be a source of one such, yet didn't accept to look people in the eyes knowing what I'll contract them with.
Still, can't stop marveling at Nihilism, in the form of a mind disease, as a work of divine art.
Thank you, Joe.
Humans are meaning-creators. Perhaps the seemingly meaningless nature of the reality we inhabit is purposeful in that the meaninglessness allows us to create genuine meaning that is deeply important to us. If we choose to.
2:36 the definitions of terms in vids like this always throw me off bc I don't feel like I've ever looked at nihilism in that way and by your definition your discussion would be way off of what I would be talking about and I see that with a lot of vids. I mean that could be bc I'm just ignorant AF about all these texts n stuff but I like to think it's more due to perception, but that could be bc I'm ignorant lol.
Oh and one of the biggest things is that is the definition you are using the same as the one from those whom you quote about the topic? If not then they technically aren't talking about the same thing lol.
So, the practical moral nialist has antisocial personality disorder?
I am a nihilist but to me life is game and I choose to play.
Was Diogenese the original nihilist?
Noooo, he wasn't a nihilist. Maybe only in the eyes of those he barked at. He was none conformist, antisocial, and seemingly ugly in a multitude of ways, but he knew of the light.
Hegesias Peisithanatos was. He got his nickname, Death Persuader, because he said that life is meaningless and it is better to die by starvation.
@@locusta-bw2vd
Thanatos
I would argue that the cherry-picking of moral values or social conventions is actually at the opposite end of nihilism, as the act of choosing implies the assignment of value.
The term "nihilism", in the context of philosophy, actually is a reference to the condition that arises given the impartial application of reason; and it is impossible to really have a firm grasp of what the term "nihilism" refers to or means (in the context of philosophy, particularly in the context of western philosophy) if one does not have an understanding of the sources of that term in a philosophical context. The description given in the video above of the term "nihilism" is a quite superficial one (although it is not entirely incorrect), and is incomplete simply because it does not consider the sources of that term: to fully understand the meaning of "nihilism", in a philosophical context, one must regard F.H. Jacobi's analysis of "nihilism", and his insistence that reason, impartially applied, leads to the condition described by Hume at the close of the first book of his Treatise of Human Nature. Though the description of "nihilism" given in the video above is not entirely incorrect or inaccurate, it is superficial and does not do full justice to the philosophical context of that term ("nihilism"), since Jacobi's analysis is not considered, and since the skepticism of Hume is never mentioned.
I agree that they can give important context (I actually reference the historical context along similar lines briefly in the video). I was just more interested in giving a conceptual analysis for use in conversation, rather than giving a historical account.
Ultimately I would argue to understand nihilism from a historical perspective you would have to go much farther back, and look at the treatment of mortality in The Epic of Gilgamesh, and certainly later themes in Ecclesiastes, as well as the notion of the inevitable in Ancient Greek tragedy. I fear beginning with Hume and Jacobi would not be going nearly as far back as one would need for philosophical context. I fear giving the origins of nihilistic philosophy as originating in Humean empiricism would also be superficial as far as giving philosophical context goes.
0:12
42, next question
It is the optimistic nihilist that you are referring to as far as theoretical nihilism goes. They know the world has no meaning and beliefs have no meaning, but they do something anyway because it is part of being a human. It is that innate spark to spit in the OId One's tentacles before they slip into the unyielding madness of what the universe actually is.
Optimistic nihilism must be an oxymoron
Not really because nihilism is indifference while optimism is positivity which are not opposites
well some people attain enlightenment through the optimistic nihilist belief, like "my worries aren't consequential enough for the eternity" and be rid of malevolent degrees of sadness caused through concerns
No it is actually how can something always come before something
Do you practice SR by chance? Your eyes are stunning.
My philosophy is that life does not have meaning but life only has a purpose meaning and purpose are two different things
Ah, that's interesting. I suppose people normally use the terms interchangeably but elucidating the distinction might be really helpful for discussions
Can you elaborate on the difference between the two? Thanks!
@LiamCantArt
Just like everything under moral relativism Nihilism/Absurdism is entirely subjective as in just differing opinions so whatever his response is no more valid than that of a serial killer or genocidal maniac and there's no intrinsic value or difference between the 2 other than again entirely subjective opinion.
@@RoyCyberPunk
And if there where objective values, and they would demand from us to maximize misery for its own sake, why would anyone in their right mind follow their advice?
@Everywhere4
Except there's not a single objective Golden Rule Judeo-Christian value that even remotely aims at that. All that you are proposing is a non-existent philosophical hypothetical that pardon me but sounds as improbable as trying to imagine ourselves with the positions of our bodies heads and genitals reversed with the genitals on top of the neck and the head between our legs.🤷🏾♂️
Makes sense since he had a killer moustache
How does one become him?