Nihilism

[death metal black metal]

The most useful definition:

Mereological nihilism (also called compositional nihilism, or what some philosophers just call nihilism) is the position that objects with proper parts do not exist (not only objects in space, but also objects existing in time do not have any temporal parts), and only basic building blocks without parts exist, and thus the world we see and experience full of objects with parts is a product of human misperception (i.e., if we could see clearly, we would not perceive compositive objects).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mereological_nihilism

It corresponds to Plato's cave allegory: objects are seen as composite, but they are in fact patterns expressed from a fluid matter and dependent on context for their existence. Context is formed of every object in interaction with every other object.

This naturally leads to rejection of values, purpose, judgment, knowing, etc. because they are human thinking based on the idea of composite-ness itself.

[Metal POWER!]

ASBO, isn't nihilism just a more expedient term than realism for describing reality?

[ondeaander]

Nihilism is for homosexuals. It's a negative philosophy. Instead, how about realism? Embrace reality and have fun instead.

Realism = Nihilism, if you take either of them seriously. No way around it, unless you can give life arbitrary value, which is about as easy as learning to enjoy the taste of excrement.

[Godkiller]

Nihilism is the belief that nothing we perceive has Absolute value; reality exists, but beyond its inherent meaning to us as the physical container of our existence, it has no significance outside of what we perceive. "The world is my representation," indeed. When we strip away all of the values projected onto physical reality and its outcomes, we are left only with personal ideal and natural ideal, and bringing the former into adaptation with the latter is the lifetime task to which nihilism is a gateway.

One thing that's always confused me about this site is that this seems like kind of a moot point to me. "Acknowledge reality", ok, but where do we go from here? What can you tell me about reality and what we should do about it? I don't think you could find any sane or healthy person who says that he lives in denial or doesn't seek to live in reality and seek truth, at least in the case of successful people. That's what science sets out to do, right? The way I understood it is that the "nihilism" on this site is used more as an attack on religion and "PC" notions, neither of which really concern me.

[Heydrich]

Nihilism is the belief that nothing we perceive has Absolute value; reality exists, but beyond its inherent meaning to us as the physical container of our existence, it has no significance outside of what we perceive. "The world is my representation," indeed. When we strip away all of the values projected onto physical reality and its outcomes, we are left only with personal ideal and natural ideal, and bringing the former into adaptation with the latter is the lifetime task to which nihilism is a gateway.

One thing that's always confused me about this site is that this seems like kind of a moot point to me. "Acknowledge reality", ok, but where do we go from here? What can you tell me about reality and what we should do about it? I don't think you could find any sane or healthy person who says that he lives in denial or doesn't seek to live in reality and seek truth, at least in the case of successful people. That's what science sets out to do, right? The way I understood it is that the "nihilism" on this site is used more as an attack on religion and "PC" notions, neither of which really concern me.

Religion and "PC" notions and the concocted morality which pervades both are poison to robust, healthy-minded people. From the great fraud of universal egalitarianism to the residual post-christian christianity that masquerades as "secular humanism" "humanitaianism" or the like, all are dangerous foolishness and folly that falsely build up, support and protect the herd, the unproductive, the rabble; while seeking(directly or indirectly) to tear down those with nobler aspirations. Reality eludes many today because they prefer the myth, the lie, the incessant drumbeat that says only the full ebrace of endless consumerism(must "stimulate The Economy"), globalism, conformity to the doctrine of universal equality, etc., can set you "free"...make you "moral!"  Reality, of course, is much less pleasant, much less feel-good in nature. Hence, we live in a society built largely on pipe-dreams, flawed theories, misguided social engineering, empty moralisms, and a near complete disregard for even our living environment but for a lot of lazy lip-service about going "green" and such, while the overpopulation of the ever-fecund third-world, for instance, is forbidden to acknowledge. Many of us are not satisfied with this vision of a "moral order" and seek a "revaluation of values" to coin a phrase from 'ol Friedrich.   

If you aren't concerned with these things, perhaps that explains your professed confusion. 

[Godkiller]

Those things don't concern me because I'm neither religious nor a "PC" crusader. Maybe those are big issues in the United States where you also have other ridiculous problems like fundamentalist Christians dealing a heavy hand in politics, but not anywhere else in the developed world that I can think of. The world seems more or less structured as I like it, actually, which is to say like a meritocracy. Do well in school and they give you money and more opportunities and your achievements get recognized. Sure, some minorities get a little help here and there but that's neither something I disagree with nor something that interferes with my own progress. Let me put it this way: if you're a scientist, a writer, a businessman, or pretty much in any profession, your reputation is going to be built on your achievements rather than PC attitudes or "preferential" treatment. Journal papers don't write themselves, and neither does a company become a big name because the "herd" is getting pushed up.

As for religion being poison to healthy-minded people, you might want to review the religious stances of Bach, Newton, Kelvin and some of the most illustrious figures in human history on that one. Sure, there's more to religion than an innocent facilitator of spirituality, but I don't discredit it as entirely meritless.

[Heydrich]

Those things don't concern me because I'm neither religious nor a "PC" crusader. Maybe those are big issues in the United States where you also have other ridiculous problems like fundamentalist Christians dealing a heavy hand in politics, but not anywhere else in the developed world that I can think of. The world seems more or less structured as I like it, actually, which is to say like a meritocracy. Do well in school and they give you money and more opportunities and your achievements get recognized. Sure, some minorities get a little help here and there but that's neither something I disagree with nor something that interferes with my own progress. Let me put it this way: if you're a scientist, a writer, a businessman, or pretty much in any profession, your reputation is going to be built on your achievements rather than PC attitudes or "preferential" treatment. Journal papers don't write themselves, and neither does a company become a big name because the "herd" is getting pushed up.

As for religion being poison to healthy-minded people, you might want to review the religious stances of Bach, Newton, Kelvin and some of the most illustrious figures in human history on that one. Sure, there's more to religion than an innocent facilitator of spirituality, but I don't discredit it as entirely meritless.

I used the term "religion" in the context in which you seemed to present it - that is as something ANUS "attacks" as you put it. By this I was refering to dogmatic Judeo-- Christianity, etc. Given the nature of this site, the type of music we discuss and general philosphies propounded here, I wouldn't think this topic really requires more explanation.

As to the rest of your reply, I simply disagree, almost across the board, but have no desire to get into a protratced debate on this well-worn subject. So I shall leave it at that. 

I will ask this - what is your reason for coming to this site and commenting, etc? You don't appear to be ideologically or philosophically aligned with the site.  Perhaps I am mistaken in that though...

[ondeaander]

One thing that's always confused me about this site is that this seems like kind of a moot point to me. "Acknowledge reality", ok, but where do we go from here? What can you tell me about reality and what we should do about it? I don't think you could find any sane or healthy person who says that he lives in denial or doesn't seek to live in reality and seek truth, at least in the case of successful people. That's what science sets out to do, right? The way I understood it is that the "nihilism" on this site is used more as an attack on religion and "PC" notions, neither of which really concern me.

Nihilism is the masculine; the sword, the axe, the cleansing fire that makes room for new growth. You must first destroy before you can create.

The point is not to acknowledge reality. The point is to see that reality is not what you think, nor is it what it could be. You discuss "successful people". How do you measure success? What is happiness or money when the earth is dust? None of us is successful. Our lives are meaningless. Our personalities are the sum of our possessions, our jobs, and social contacts. Nationality is even on its way out. We are all lost, and we are all in denial.

We don't attack religious/egalitarian notions just for fuck's sake. There's something deeply wrong with the world, especially ourselves, and hedonistic distraction isn't enough to make us forget. Nihilism is unpleasant, but it's where you stand when you realize that everything else you believed in was empty. From there, you can either suicide, or discover for yourself a reason to live. Nietzsche and many others have said it all more eloquently.

[ASBO]

I think Love and Nihilism said it best: nihilism is realizing that no one but us is driving, and if we love life, we need to make sense of our reality, adapt to it, and then improve our position in it (which is at least half modifying ourselves).