Question about Nihilism.

[AfaintcoldcupofTea..]

I was browsing through another forum, when I noticed the above article and link site.Site of source.

This snipped piece below has me confused. The suggestion is nihilism is faith or a faith in God/need to believe in a God. However the dictionary term points to a whole other meaning also below?

This leads on to ask the question, can you be a nihilist and have a religious faith?

Opinions?

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

The dictionary term is as follows.
Nihilism (ni-i-liz'm,) noun-;
1. A metaphysical doctrine that nothing exists, is knowable, or can be communicated.
2. Philosophy. The rejections of al distinction in moral value, and a willingness to repudiate all previous theories of morality.
3. The belief that destruction of existing political or social institutions is necessary to ensure future improvement.
4. A doctrine among the Russian intelligence of the 1860's and 1870's, advocating terrorism and denying all authority in favour of individualism.
5. From the French + medieval latin word, nihlitas/ nihil meaning nothing.

Individualism (indi-viddew-e-liz'm) noun.
1. Individuality.
2. The assertion of ones' uniqueness; egoism.
3. An individual peculiarity of foible.
4. Economics
a. the theory that a citizen should have freedom in his economic pursuits and should succeed by his own initiative.
b. The practise of this: rugged individualism.
5. The doctrine that the interests of the individual should take precedence over the interests of the state or social group.
6. Philosophy. The doctrine that reality is composed of individual entities.

What I do see is an individuals rights and how little of those rights we individually have.?

Was a question raised on this subject.

 

[Dancing David]

I take nihilism on a number of different levels:
1. Anything a human percieves or beliefs is solely in the realm of human thought: therefore all human contructs are just that human, they have no meaning outside of the ones we put upon them.
2. Nihil ex nihilio (or something like that ), from nothing nothing. Therefore if you have a something it came from something.
3. Dust to dust , ashes to ashes, off to the grave the old queen dashes. There is an end to everything, if there are gods they are not immortal.

And to anwer the other question, I don't think that nihilism is a faith, it is a philosophy, and yes you can be a nihilist and exhibit religous faith. Humans are ofetn contradictory in thier totality.

 

[AfaintcoldcupofTea..]

I take nihilism on a number of different levels:
1. Anything a human perceives or beliefs is solely in the realm of human thought: therefore all human constructs are just that human, they have no meaning outside of the ones we put upon them.
2. Nihil ex nihilio (or something like that ), from nothing nothing. Therefore if you have a something it came from something.
3. Dust to dust , ashes to ashes, off to the grave the old queen dashes. There is an end to everything, if there are gods they are not immortal.

And to answer the other question, I don't think that nihilism is a faith, it is a philosophy, and yes you can be a nihilist and exhibit religious faith. Humans are often contradictory in their totality.

I am confused by what you say.
(1) Are you saying, that our thoughts are our own?

(2) If nothing is nothing, and faith is a something. Then how can it be nihilism?

(3) If there are Gods, why would they not be immortal?

I don't understand how can you worship God or have the need for there to be a God, and be have nihilism too? It seems in my limited opinion far too contradictory.

Reading the above dictionary terms, I would have said that nihilism was;

(1) A metaphysical doctrine that nothing exists, is knowable, or can be communicated.

Which is what the translated word 'nihil' means. Nothing.

+

(3.) The belief that destruction of existing political or social institutions is necessary to ensure future improvement.

A form of anarchy?

 

[AfaintcoldcupofTea..]

Penny drops(ish)

I can have a religious need, be it that of faith or need for the knowledge God could be out there. But I can also support nihllism, if I take the number(3), as it's meaning.

Yes?

 

[Dancing David]

I am confused by what you say.
(1) Are you saying, that our thoughts are our own?
Absolutely, that anything we percieve the world to be in terms of abstractions are just human concepts. The world exists but are animals really graceful or brutal, those are just human thoughts. There is no good or evil, those are human concepts. Albeit very useful ones. Anything that is a label is a human concept. Which is why I say that science approximates reality.

(2) If nothing is nothing, and faith is a something. Then how can it be nihilism?
I don't know, nihilism is another human concept and therefore doesn't really exist.Ask the person who wrote the web page?

(3) If there are Gods, why would they not be immortal?
Everything has an end, why would gods be any different, at some point our sun will die too. And the universe.

I don't understand how can you worship God or have the need for there to be a God, and be have nihilism too? It seems in my limited opinion far too contradictory.
Personaly I am panthiestic and a buddhist, so I see no inherent contradiction, different tools for different phases of my day.

I still have morals and all, I just believe that the world is what it is, and that every thing we think about it is going to be false at some level.

 

[AfaintcoldcupofTea..]

Everything has an end, why would gods be any different, at some point our sun will die too. And the universe.

(3)We can see the sun, but, we can't see God/s. How can you say that something you can't see is subject to the same as the sun or universe ending?

(2) I will have to. The more I think about the subject, the more I need an absolute answer.


Sorry for pestering you about this. I'm bit slow on the uptake of these things, thatI haven't come across before, and it's a bit overwhelming. I tend to ask questions, until I get an absolute answer.

 

[a_unique_person]

There's really nothing to say about nihilism.

 

[shemp]

There's really nothing to say about nihilism.

Except that it doesn't exist.

 

[CWL]

Except that it doesn't exist.

Neither do you. Neither do I. We're all just figments.

Muhahahaha