+Ten of Spades Yeah, as Shakespeare once famously put it, "There is nothing, neither good nor bad but thinking makes it so." And in an ultimate sense that's probably true. But on the other hand, our common linguistic and cultural practices tend to place a lot of emphasis on meting things out in terms of hierarchical categories like positive & negative, or good & bad. So, since my goal is to engage people by way of our world's predominant habits and practices, I'm trying to use the whole positive/negative distinction as a kind of stepping stone on the road to "It is what is." Eric D.
Eric Dodson Fair enough. You've at least put some thought into this. Which is more than can be said for most people. When I tell Utilitarians I'm a Nihilist, they jump to emotional appeals. Even lots of Atheists do this. It's quite hilarious how presumptuous they all are on this topic.
Ten of Spades Well, like I was trying to say in the video, I think that a lot of the emotionality & presumptuousness comes out of people's basic insecurities about life... which is aided and abetted by our prevailing cultural practices. At least that's how I see things right now (subject to change). So it goes. Sigh.
Eric Dodson Things are already absolutely horrible in the world, even if they do get worse that won't mean much. History is a pendulum. Comfort yourself with that.
I agree with this wholeheartedly. Everyone has to decide for themselves what is morally correct instead of staying within the boundaries of what religion or other people tell them to. In fact, Nihilistic people may be the most morally adept because we don't depend on other sources to bring meaning to life, but instead bring meaning with individual morals, art, music, etc. The greater "purpose" in a Nihilist's eyes may be just to live life to the full extent you can and bring your own meaning to it by just existing while you are still alive
+Eliza Groovy Yeah, it seems to me that life lived in robotic compliance with someone else's moralistic edicts is ultimately pretty shallow and dull. And I also agree that simply experiencing life -- without any extra belief-systems or moralistic mandates -- is already sufficient & complete, and more than enough to fill our hearts. And yeah, becoming a creator in life, rather than just a follower, can be an exhilarating & scary thing. But what more noble task for souls such as we? Thanks for the groovy comment. Eric D.
My friends have told me that I'm such a strange character for being so nihilistic, for "thinking for myself". This.... Is very much true... But ... As a matter of fact, I am not actually, "thinking for myself". What I think; say is merely a copycat of other people's ideas. A combination of ideas perceived as if they were truth and knowledge... Or blasphemy. What you are reading now is only an echo of another person before me. Before them. And the meaninglessness that I myself perceive from others is the coping mechanism I use to deal with the void that is everything around me.
So long as nihilism is 'nothingness,' then the presence of fears, adversities, failures, setbacks and also Heidegger's "anxiety" are logically not part of nihilism. This video's suggestion of understanding nihilism as nothingness which is actually full of something is a fatal logical flaw of idealism (Plato, Kant, Hegel, Hitler, Marx); substituting what is not reality for what is unattractive about reality. Further, while It is life-enhancing to suggest that facing adversities and defeats and hardship directly is preferable to avoiding or ignoring them, note that the nothingness of nihilism is incapable of establishing any life-enhancing, life-flourishing, life-nourishing ethic of facing our failures or dealing with the evil in ourselves and others. It is impossible for the 'void' to create any evaluative ethics of approval or disapproval. Both of these two arguments in the video in favor of considering nihilism as something which is ethically anabolic are much like Nietzsche's 'bad' nihilism and 'good' nihilism, flawed by the psychic self-destruction of passivity, negativity, and pessimism (rejected Schopenhauer's undesired influence upon Nietzsche, which he fought bravely and well, usually). As long as the deeply pessimistic valuation of life in Buddhism: "Life is Suffering," or in Stoicism or in Gnosticism are used to establish an ethical life, passivity and negativity shape our lives and our culture. That's the fatal logical flaw of nihilism: the 'nothingness,' the 'void,' is death. Nihilism, like anarchism, as an ethic is better understood as the manifestation of a deep psychic desire for self-destruction; the negation of life, not the celebration of life.
Don Kirk I was formulating a response to the video but I decided to see if anyone else had already engaged the topic and had done better than I was doing. You did. You expressed exactly my problems with his thesis and interpretation.
Seems to me that you misunderstand the nothingness that comes from the concept of Nihilism. It's about detachment from worldly things due to the belief that there is no such thing as ultimate purpose or meaning. Pretty simple. It's not taking life so seriously. It also doesn't automatically drive a person into despair. That only happens to sad people.
Thanks, Eric, for another thought provoking video! This may be one of my absolute favorites. And there are so many good ones to choose from! I find your point about silence head on and possibly the single most important factor in human existence. Our ability to numb the noise and just be. . I also find this subject one of the hardest to convey and I'm happy to be introduced to your line of thinking that makes great sense. So, thanks again. I am deeply impressed that one can publish videos of this quality on such a regular basis. And the accompanying images and music are just amazing!! Thanks again!
Michael Wolffhechel Hi Michael... well, thanks once again for your warm, encouraging words. It's also nice to know that people are really perceiving the beauty I'm trying to put into the images & music. I agree that our relationship with silence is one of the great touchstones of real wisdom in this modern world. I think that that's why thinkers like Heidegger, as well as Buddhists, place so much emphasis on it. But, on the other side of the scale, silence can be an elusive thing in a world filled with technology... Anyhow, thanks once again for watching and taking the time to comment.... Eric D.
Eric Dodson Haha, yeah, I sometimes think of the image of the unruly school boy that's placed with a pointy hat in the corner of the classroom with his face against the wall. I reckon the punishment was both to shame someone and leave them alone with their thoughts. Do that today and the silence would be broken in a thumb click's time. Look forward to where your next video project takes you. And if you should ever need a recommendation I would love to hear your take on Joseph Campbell.
Such a good ending and good way of describing the concept. You reminded me that the happy "Nihilist" is the one who is simply mindful and enjoying being a part of the present moment. So simple, but so elusive in practice. Thanks!
I would just like to tell you I love your videos and really enjoy listening to you. Philosophy is a very difficult subject, and its very satisfying when you listen to other people have similar thoughts to your own just to feel more connected to others.
A whole new set of thoughts. I'm not brand new to the thinking, but these are new alignments to those thoughts. I could ramble but instead will say thank you. I encountered it as part of your "assorted topics" playlist after I had encountered your Nietzche in 13(?) minutes. Obviously there are a LOT of thoughts on those two 'N-words' spread throughout society, but you are bringing relatability to the conversation.
At 4:55 "Nihilistic sensations and experiences are simply part of life's larger totality, Just another thing for us to experience on planet earth. Which is what we are here for in the first place." First, I see nihilism as a philosophy, so phrases like "nihilistic sensations" and "nihilistic experiences" make no sense to me. Why not just say, "painful sensations and experiences." Second, the whole statement is very anti-nihilist. The whole point is that we are not here for anything. There is no "divine predestination," there is no meaning to our existence. One can feel despondent or liberated about it, but this is what nihilism is.
Well, first... aren't abstract philosophical ideas (like nihilism) also reflected in various experiences we have in the everyday world? And if philosophical ideas are completely disconnected from our experience of life, well, why pay attention to them in the first place? Second, I'm saying "nihilistic sensations & experiences" to differentiate the kinds of experiences that involve some appreciable fraction of nihilistic insight or ideation. For instance, stubbing your toe is painful... but it probably doesn't involve much nihilistic ideation (at least for most people). Compare this, for instance, to the experience of contemplating suicide. Finally, the point of this video isn't to present a kind of vision of nihilistic purism (whose best expression would probably be to remain completely silent in a video consisting of a black screen), but to invite people to question what we usually just take for granted. But this requires speaking the lingua franca, so to speak, rather than the relatively inaccessible language of pure, logically consistent nihilism. It's a matter of sacrificing some measure of logical consistency so that people will actually watch the video, and be able to take it up from the perspective of their non-nihilistic lives.
***** It might be good to remember that the purpose of this video is draw people toward rethinking how they view nihilism -- NOT to present some kind of absolute vision of it in its logical purity. But of course that purpose will only be achieved if one speaks in the common vernacular -- both conceptually and linguistically.
Holy crap. While I was watching this video, all of a sudden I felt like everything was rotating around me, then an instant later my entire bedroom was violently jerked around counter-clockwise, all of its contents including myself flung about haphazardly and strewn across the floor. I can't imagine what happened... Oh wait, that was MY LIFE TURNING AROUND.
I hold doors open for others because it is societally valued. My mother would scold me if I didn't. It's a method of interaction. It's an obligation, not a sincere feeling.
+William Hargrave But if you were to really decide not to do it any more, then probably you would simply stop doing it. In other words, there's really nothing stopping you from disobeying your sense of obligation. And in reality, isn't it true that you could have decided that all along? The point, of course, is that even what seems obligatory is really a kind of choice, even if doesn't seem like a "sincere feeling" at the time (actually, when you think about it, most of our choices in life are like that).
@williamofdallas-And that is why I generally do not hold doors open for others-well, I will for older folks, or those with an infirmity. On the flip side, I will not hold any door open for any female-especially the really attractive ones I know I do NOT want others holding doors open for me. Most people pretty much disgust me- I've tried to change my perspective but have been unsuccessful. Perhaps I am about to snap?
The word nihilism doesn't mean the same thing it used to. Nihilism used to mean that you rejected society's beliefs and values in order to develop your own. Nihilism used to mean that you thought for yourself because you believed in yourself. Because of the mainstream's appropriation of this and other terms, there has been a re-direction and limitation placed upon public debate. Nihilism as come to mean not believing in anything because of self-loathing. Nihilism used to be the opposite of that. These days too many kids all think to be nihilistic means to be self-hatting. Self-loathing only serves your enemies.
That was fantastic!! I couldn't agree with you more what people don't realize the liberating dimensions that nihilism can present. Its like Albert Camus said “The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”
This is a fantastic video mate, entertaining, carefully constructed and shines some light on the present-but-often-ignored positives aspects of that "scary word". You got yourself a new subscriber.
I'm a nihilist and I'm fuukn lovn it ...I'm without care for god ,its judgement . the law of humanity is only opinion, meaning and purpose are illusion of Life and to top it all off when it all ends it ends forever. should there be a heaven I'm gonna bitch slap the first thing I meet. thanks for video I enjoy ur others aswell , not that it matters ;-)
I wrote quite a bit but I think it's worth the read: 6:50 basic inner sense of decency? That is either taught through systems of morality or doesn't exist at all, you can't be morally right because it doesn't exist within the framework of nihilism. For example, Christianity adds value to humanity that is why there is decency. I can't see it in nihilism. There shouldn't be a reason to be good to another human being... According to nihilism love shouldn't exist at all. That's my problem with it. In fact, why should we feel sorry if it doesn't even matter? What is it about certain situations that make us sad or depressed? chemical imbalances? It doesn't add up in that sense. But I can't get this worldview out of my head, which is awful. There is nothing good about it, don't sugarcoat this topic. We search for what is real, we need more "real" 7:50 You aren't addressing the problem but rather flipping it to what has happened through historical extremism within "moral systems" 9:25 this is based on the emotions of a person on a particular day? What stops their emotions from one day to another? Emotions have a zero IQ. 10:30 it sounds as though nihilism is a fantasy trip, running away from problems doesn't make them go away. The Buddhist practice can also be extreme. It is important to realize this world's issues but also realize which ones can be taken care of through our own effort. to know what is in our control and let go of that which is not but here's the main thing, nihilism will completely rid you of the deep questions of life and leave you empty. Nihilism promotes the "being-okay-with-it" mentality but can you just push it back forever? Eventually, when you are on the death bed it'll come back with a vengeance, I can assure you that. Nihilism sounds more so of an escape than a statement of truth. Like giving up, but perhaps that isn't bad because the answer is unavailable to us. I don't think the questions will just go away, especially if you remain a thinking human being without becoming as a rock through extreme meditation. I don't assume the answer but I know we need something to hold on to or life really is nothing more than highs and lows.
I agree. And so in that sense, I wonder how do we gain the passion for life as before? I personally have lost all passion for self improvement and doing well in life. It doesn't matter to me anymore but I have material responsibility; the main responsibility, or the only one I have that I care about, is taking care of my parents. I want to be able to make the rest of their lives satisfactory from my part, and unfortunately that involves me going into one of the hardest career pathway. However I find it so hard because of my agnosticism. It has completely rid me of any competitiveness so I wonder if you have anything to say about how you might be dealing with life on your part?
"Life is already complete and self-suficient" & "The things that you own are the things that own you" ...To be present in the moment and everything else is distraction!!! THANK YOU!
Hi, i have been learning and experience a lot about existentialism from your videos. thanks a lot. these are gems... you really simplified all the complex thoughts in very productive manner. video on Nihilism is great...it changed my perspective.. great work.
I'm a nihilist and I don't see a purpose to our existence... you explain this very well and I think it is correct... if we are lucky enough and live long enough, then we can make our own purposes while we are here... you have a new subscriber.
What is the point of purpose? Why make any purpose if everything amounts to nothing in the end? If when we all di, we are all the same and nothing is diffrent, then why bother?
+Smörhunden We don't, but it's very unlikely... It's a fairy tale made up by humans... Death is a mystery, but whatever happens it's not what religions have tried to tell us.. Evolve and Free Your Mind.. Best wishes.
I consider myself a nihilist when it comes to any form of philosophical thinking or debate, but in the end it doesnt matter if i believe in an indifferent universe, a god or something else, because when im hungry for pizza i dont have to worry about the ultimate meaning of my life. Its enough to get some freaking pizza.
Yeah, I think that there's truth in what you're saying. But by the same token, sometimes we get hungry to grapple with philosophical-type questions even more than we are for pizza (uhh... sorry about the mixed metaphor there).
Haha, thats true, but even then I dont think nihilism is a philosophical (or ethical) suicide (referring to Camus), on the contrary, it gives us the freedom to create ethics that actually serve us in the life we do live and experience (not in the abstract idea what it could be behind that mask), with all its hunger for pizza, as well as philosophical debate :3 Could be of course that im mixing nihilism with existentialism here, im just an amateur in the matter, but i think what ultimately just matters is the constructive mindset im getting out of it, not the meticilously correct use of terminology xD On a side note, i really love your videos, especially those where you sum up famous philosophers :) And im quite excited that you actually responded xD Eric Dodson
Well, get ready for more excitement then, 'cause here's another response.. actually a grab-bag of responses. As you've probably inferred, I very much agree with what yo're saying in your first paragraph. It's mostly about dropping the habit of thinking that we have to think & behave like programmed robots. Instead, it's about learning to lay claim to our deeper birthright as human beings, which is essentially a creative one. Also, don't worry about being an amateur; we're all actually amateurs compared to the depth and breadth of life. The only difference is in how able we are to admit that. Finally, thanks for tuning in to my videos. I'm actually doing the voice-over for a new one today. It's about the dynamics of privilege and shame, especially from an existential perspective. I'm also working on one on Phenomenology & Technological Consciousness, if you're interested in that topic. Anyhow, thanks again for watching. Eric D.
Great work on your videos Mr. Dodson. Thank you for your efforts in posting them; They are Very entertaining and informative. I've been watching quite a bit of your work the last couple days. It's refreshing to know there are others like minded, and appreciate critical thinking about being and existence. P.B. Pierson
I first learned of this concept after reading Ivan Turgenev's _Fathers and Sons_ when I dropped out of college. That Russian masterpiece, which I consider one of my Top 2 favorite books (the other being Franny and Zooey) hit me hard and it still affects me to this day. In fact, it's what brought me to think like I do. I often reference that book in many areas in my life. Not that I'm nihilistic or anything, but there are some ideas in there that are very much relatable to an extent. It's one of those novels where I saw myself in every facet of each character. If you haven't already, go check that classic!
I gotta say, this was one of the most elequant and lifeaffirming analysis of nihilism I've ever heard. I used to prefer Niezsches view, where the contemplation of lifes darker side possibly could serve as a springboard towards self-overcoming, but your marriage of nihilism with mindfullness integrates the potential darkness pleasantly with everyday life. Well Done!
"Nihilism" is one of those weird words that means at least two totally different things. There is nothing new about this. On one hand, there is Bazarov from Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons," a man who wouldn't hurt a fly (he would see it as illogical and stupid). On the other hand, in my book on Russian history (published before 1913,) the killers of Tsar Alexander II are called "nihilists." I think it is ridiculous to call People's Will (the killers of the Tsar) nihilists. They weren't believers in nothing. Just the opposite, they were fervent believers in the bright future world which they thought they would help bring by the killing. They were idealists -- the very opposite of nihilism. Just look around today -- how many of the murderers are idealists. None are nihilists. Back to Bazarov. He was a young man, an admirer and follower of Western enlightenment, of logic and science, who ran with all this to the logical conclusion that there is no logical reason in life itself, that a certain emptiness (nihil) appears as religious and other illusions are swept away, and he has accepted it. This is not "dark night of the soul," because it is not a profound religious conviction that is overturned in a dark enlightenment, it is simply a logical, philosophic conclusion that little-by-little got into him and changed him, making him this calm, serene, passionless person. And then, despite all the nihilism, he falls in love. Which he himself calls a mirage, nonsense, and yet he is unable to overcome it. The mirage proves stronger than his logic. And when he dies, he is sorry to die so young, He accepts death, but not all that willingly. Reminds me of a haiku poem by Issa: This dewdrop of a world. It might be a dewdrop, And yet... Nihilism is very liberating, very honest, it is definitely a million times better than any kind of idealism, but it fails because we are not strong enough for what it demands.
Beautiful. I always say how nihilism felt liberating when it came across me. But i dont think it fails because people are not strong enough. It doesnt demand that. It just need acceptance that you yourself dont matter. And in my eye there is nothing wrong with that. it isnt even hard, just a strange concept to understand for most.
The only reason it feels liberating is because it absolves you from all responsibility. If you don't matter, then nothing you do matters and you have no responsibility. Liberating maybe, yes. But the trade-off to that is that your life also has no meaning. Then you have to ask yourself if you are okay with living a life without meaning, and I decided I wasn't. Nihilism is attractive, but in the end it is a destructive, anti-life philosophy.
#AuditoryEscapism Your responsability is not real, just self-deception. Only a nihilist can aspire to be truly responsible. Nothing enhances life more than nihilism. Anything else is just terror management (as described by the terror management theory).
Anthony C. Thanks, Anthony. I'm thinking of doing an analysis of humanity's major world-problems, which in my view circulate around the issue of wisdom... so an analysis of wisdom, too. But I've learned that I'm not too great at predicting myself. So, I'm never completely sure what I'll do next. Anyhow, thanks for watching. Eric
Fantastic analysis. Subbed to your channel a while ago and the amount of clarity and fresh thinking you bring to the table is well, a breath of fresh air. Loved your video on Heidegger as well. Just felt like expressing my appreciation :)
The anxiety arising in nihilism disappears and we no longer fear that existential emptiness, when we get to seeing through the illusion of the separate egoic self.
Yes, I agree. A lot of the anxiety is really about maintaining the ego. Of course, the ego has its time & place in our lives. But then again, it's not our ultimate destination. Thanks for the thoughtful comment. Eric D.
I love nihilism. Why negatively value a concept/reality that treats us indifferently. Humans give death way more consideration than vice versa. In an existence where literally nothing intrinsically matters, Everything subjectively matters on a spectrum. Find some pointlessly interesting shit to do until you kick the bucket.
Well, that's mostly just a matter of social custom. In other words, it seems ugly & evil mostly because that's how our world encourages us to see it. However, in its own right, it's inherently neither beautiful nor ugly, neither good nor evil. It simply is. As Shakespeare once said, "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." And so it is with nihilism.
I hate how depressed these thought processes have made me, but also devoid of emotion. All at the same time. The world is in a weird place. I’m in a weird place.
Eric Dodson I already knew that. But still, I'm alive and therefore might as well do something otherwise I might as well act as a vegetable and not move an inch until I die. The same for everyone else.
+MafiaRaccoon Yeah, when we drop the constraints of having to live a meaningful life according to one definition or another, then we're free to do anything -- whether it's making videos, or writing comments, or experiencing things in one way or another.... so it goes.
"Posthumous men - I, for example - are understood worse than timely ones, but heard better. More precisely: we are never understood - hence our authority."
Much of our ethical behavior is simply based on habits. The majority come from watching and living in the tribe. The origin of right and wrong is another story. We all have moments of nihilism which may have some growth value but fortunately they pass.
There is no meaning, but our genes make us believe that that there is meaning so that we will pass them on and help them to survive. Life is a big con. :-)
Exactly. Of course for the most part those genes that affirm life and submit to life's illusions survive. But it is something to be aware about still, good reminder. That is probably why the vast majority of people "burn the witch".
It's just about what ended up existing and what did not. Things with genetics don't have a purpose to pass them down and reproduce, it's just what they do by nature
If there is no inherent meaning in anything, or in any of our experiences, I think the logical conclusion is that one would delve into a sort of subjectivism and relativism morally and philosophically. Which in one sense, would force a person toward extisentialism or absurdism. It is true that the darkest moments in life make us question the heart of our worldviews. Sinking into nothingness for the time, sulking in the disappointment and pain contained in life. Nihilism is the philosophy of the depressed. Its the negative reaction to failure and disappointments in life.
I'm a nihilist for 4 years now, and experienced the good and the bad sides you mentioned, now I'm on a better way but still insecure and scared, becouse I wasn't before and i wasn't ready for it, and still too young for some lifelessons and situations...abusing drugns, weed and alchol and now I'm on my way to find myself again, mosly in the form of becoming my former self but without the bad sides, a nihilst with a will to live, great vid bud
jukaa1012 Wow, it sounds like you're on a brave path that requires a lot of courage -- especially insofar as your road seems to invite a lot of misunderstanding and mis-comprehension from other people. The thing about self-destructive behavior (like the ones you're mentioning) is that nihilism gives you no reason to avoid all of that... but it also gives you no reason to seek it out. If you're a nihilist, there's no particular reason to seek out hedonism, any more than there's a reason to seek out anything else. Really what you're left with is nothing other than what you're experiencing from moment to moment -- without all of the extra baggage of beliefs, ambitions, big plans, scary monsters to avoid, etc. But I also sometimes think that some thoughts can be dangerous in some minds. So... since I don't know you, I might add a cautionary note about being circumspect about what you decide to make real. Just a thought. Anyhow, thanks for the cool and thoughtful comment. Eric D.
I overcame depression already and the life experiances that used to hold me back catapulted me forward now, but now I have to deal with things that people usualy already dealt with at this age(I'm 21) witch comes easier to me now but it is also holding me back as I schould already be acquainted with these things so my head is a little bit messed up, all in all it was and still is an experiance that not alot people have at this young age(not only drugs but also sex, abuse, poverty, love) and I'm thankful for that, feeling lucky kinda
jukaa1012 Personally, I feel that how a person sees life, and the kinds of experiences he or she seeks out, should serve to enhance the best parts of life. So, if nihilism seems to be having that effect for you, I'd say stay with it. If something else seems better after a while, well, you're allowed to change your mind and your direction in this world. As I think back on being 21 (I'm 55 now), I remember that it seemed like a fairly difficult time of life -- partly because the adult world and its demands felt so new and foreign, and partly because there aren't too many places in our society for 21-year-olds to fit in easily. So, if I could offer you any kind of advice from a few decades ahead on life's road, I'd say, keep your head up, try to avoid things that break you down, and focus on things that build you up -- physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually... and remember that things will get easier if you manage to do that more-or-less consistently over time. Eric
Its more like nihilism is my explenation, i used to pratice it daily a few years back and than shit came in and I blamed it on nihilism leaving me floating around unsure of anything but nowdays if I realy think about it yes I would say I'm a nihilist, but not a dedicted one, it just shows me the way from time to time, not realy effecting my judgement
thans Eric, I've taken a liking to your vids too, this one in particular helped me change some views and solidify other, all in all keep up the good work :)
Please answer me this. Eric and everyone who wants to. 14:57 did you refer to... "Nothing"? Like the fear of beeing nothing but matter and disolving into nothingnes after death for example? And also, do you believe it, whoever reads this?
Wow, the emptiness has roused a lot of fear! The comments make me realize that I have, in the past, been offended or defensive when engaging my friends with Nihilist ideas. I’ve missed out on learning how they deal with the discomfort, and what it allows them to see. Thanks!
Have you ever made a video on your political views? I'd love to hear your opinion on socialism, anarchism and capitalism. You just seem so neutral and informed, I feel like you'd be able to explain everything without bias
Well, thanks. Actually, I was toying with the idea of doing something on politics. Your comment makes it more likely that I'll do that... so thanks for the feedback. Eric D.
By asking why enough we realise that there is no deeper meaning aside from that which we give. Meaning only exists in the mind, so it is down to us choose what matters to us. Nihilism, in my opinion, is therefore the greatest freedom provided by any philosophy.
And that is why ethics is completely pointless. Thank you. Honestly, what's so bad about everything having no purpose. I mean, you don't controll all of your actions, and you are human, so just keep doing and thinking what humans should, just as you are right now. There's no reason not to do so.
As a christian i felt like i should be helping people because god would want me to. As i became agnostic and eventually nihilistic, i felt a much more tangible sense of empathy towards the suffering of others because i had accepted that god isnt out there making sure everything goes well for people and their suffering became equal to my own. I stopped seeing myself as the star of gods play and more of a responsible moral agent in a cold uncaring universe and the whole "if not me, then who" became much more real.
Hi Eric, Ive always been a history fan and i might know where the anti-nihilist stance comes from. The last tsars of russia were killed by nihilists, Alexander II was the (dictator) monarch who realised that his people needed to be more free. The exact story is alot more interesting, but in the end there was the great war wich triggered communism. Most of us know now, that for communist ethics to work, the whole world needs to be (conquered) one. terrorists have always existed in hierarchic society, end of the 19th century the nihilists, 20th century communism or capitalism, today religous extremists. All of them want more compassion and know that actions speak louder than words...
Heidinger is wrong. Nothingness does not reveal itself through anxiety. In the state of anxiety we feel emotionally compelled to believe our thoughts however paranoid they may get and whether they are true or not, therefore when anxious the anxiety seems related to empirically factual phenomenon when in fact it is just cooked up by our mind and life processes.
A experience of nihilism is an experience we all have and can benefit from. A nihilistic philosophy for life is something much different and will lead to despair.
the difficulty of nihilism is that it provides no answers. at least something like existentialism or absurdism has some way of beginning to answer the questions it raises
Great video! As an idealist who identified with many idealistic notions in philosophy, I eventually came to question all of them in an attempt to discover the actual truth for myself. In my descent (or maybe ascent ;) to a state of nihilism, while at the same time becoming much more aware of what Carl Jung was saying about confrontation with the unconscious, it struck me that it is a transitory state where ones illusions break down, and a place of clarity where someone is taking an important step in Jungs process of individuation on which to perhaps begin to build the proverbial true self. I do think one needs to understand even the philosophies they don't agree with as there is well thought out truths in them and something to gain, just not necessarily your truth or the whole truth, but those which help you move forward in your own understanding of life and the world. Those who use nihilism as a conclusion of which to live by, or as an excuse for intellectual laziness and ignorance to the history of ideas need to reevaluate what they think they understand.
+Bob Odda Bob... wow, I appreciate how your connecting nihilism with Jungian individuation. I hadn't thought of that! As you say, "...a transitory state when one's illusions break down, and a place of clarity where someone is taking [or perhaps beginning to take] an important step..." Sweet! And thanks for taking the time to articulate that! Cheers, Eric D.
10 months have passed and my position as elucidated in my previous comment has changed, or rather been pulled inside out. take a read and tell me what you think: nihilism is a faith based position in the same way a belief in god is a faith based position. to conclude life and the universe has no ultimate meaning you would have to examine it as a whole, since as humans we are limited to a tiny part of the universe our knowledge of the whole of the universe is insufficient to come to this conclusion with anything even remotely resembling certainty. life may appear to have no meaning but there was a time when the earth appear flat, appearances can and often are deceptive. whether life and the universe does or does not have an ultimate meaning is unknowable to us at this current time. in the same way the existence of god is. life and the universe could have an ultimate meaning and we would be ignorant to it in the same way a cog in a machine (if sentient) would be ignorant to its place in the larger system of things due to its limited perspective. the cog's life would appear to be without meaning, it spends its entire life going in a circle in what seems to be a completely inconsequential and purposeless manner. if the cog could see the entirety of the system it exists within it would see that its function does have purpose, even if that purpose is limited in scale. the only intellectually honest position with respect to the question of whether life and the universe has any ultimate meaning is that of agnosticism. in the same way the, the only intellectually honest position with respect to the question of whether there is or is not a god is that of agnosticism. since there is insufficient evidence to conclude life and the universe has no ultimate meaning or purpose, such a belief is based on faith rather than knowledge.
There are only two things that can be objectively said about the 'reality' we reside in... One is.. it's amoral and two it's nihilistic. Understanding both concepts sounds like a 'meaningful' pursuit... Once you get both concepts you can then rewrite the often posed question... 'What's the meaning of life' to the meaningful 'What's the meaning of your life'
If there is a basic sense of inborn human decency that causes us to open doors for each other then life isn't without meaning. We would do this because that person has intrinsic value or because we have assigned that person a value. If A is true then Nihilism isn't. If B is true then we must ask where does this value come from which we have assigned it. It cannot be intrinsic. Just because certain parts of life may seem or be nihilistic doesn't mean that all life is devoid of meaning.
I like Eric. He has the healthy outlook of a generalist. I believe his work was the inspiration for the recent "Defense of Postmodernism" from The Partially Examined Life, as a response to the polemics coming from Jordan B Peterson. Peterson tends to overinflate the threat of nihilism (derived from Nietzsche) which I do think is a real threat to our culture in the West be a real problem (see Douglas Murray "The Strange Death of Europe") but to propose a return to a kind of Jungian Traditionalism strikes me as a step backward. I do like a lot of JBP, but he tends to gloss over the weaknesses in his arguments with impassioned rhetoric and assertions.
Nihilism is the reality of human life, and all deep thinkers and philosophers ultimately come to that conclusion. Even Friedrich Nietzsche understood that life is essentially meaningless. How can it not be? You're born to die and then everything is over. What Nietzsche did however, was to posit the question of how to nevertheless overcome nihilism. His answer was that the individual alone must create his own value system, and his own 'meaning' or 'cause' in life. Like being a play actor really, so that it satisfies you. He also posited the 'overman' idea, in which one constantly struggles to overcome hurdles, and only by doing this does one feel that sense of "meaning". However, as one ages, and things fall out of control in many ways, Nietzsche's philosophy is no longer sustainable. His is a philosophy for the young and healthy. I think if Nietzsche would have lived to be older, he would have embraced Buddhism - the only true way.
everything you said was good until, you said Frederick Nietzsche would embrace Buddhism today... Nietzsche would have been an Atheist plain and simple..
Nihilism is an unstable state, no one alive is a nihilist .. it's the manifestation of the "absolute" of nothingness, you can never reach the state of nihilism, like it's the case with "happiness".
Thomas Aquinas noted, good draws its virtues from evil. Carl Jung, explored the shadow and found himself staring into a mirror. If nihilism is ultimately nirvana. Anything positive in nihilism is desiring which means conflict. In nothingness, desire does not exist. If positivity exist in nothingness by its own virtues the opposite must also exist. Which is what this video presented. Nirvana then must be separated from nihilism.
So Nihilism could be viewed as a clean slate from which you can actively shape the direction of your own life pursuing things you have a passion for and interest in, to color the slate. This should give meaning to everyone who feels that their lives have no meaning. What it means is, that you get to decide for yourself instead of having someone else dictate to you the meaning. We can create our own purpose, right?
+Terry Thompson Yeah, that's pretty much how I see it, too. As the great sage Tyler Durden once put it, "It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything." But on the other side of the ledger, most of us have learned to cherish what imprisons & enslaves us.
+Eric Dodson It makes me realize just exactly how precious and valuable life is, and just how lucky we are to be able to experience it. I just watched fight club last night. I have arrived at the conclusion that knowledge is the most valuable possession anyone can have. Despite being somewhat destitute currently, my life has been good. I have accomplished many things. I don't worry about an afterlife, or trivial things beyond my control. Now I spend my time enjoying the creation of music, art, and programming. No regrets. I still have many years to look forward to, as well as many more accomplishments. Tyler does make me miss my MMA days in Japan though, lol. I think I will seek the nearest dojo and get back into it. I think the primary difference between Tyler's philosophy and mine is, that I specialize in creation, rather than destruction. That is my joy
Terry Thompson Wow, I didn't know I was speaking to your world so directly with the Tyler Durden thing. Anyhow... even knowledge fades and disappears after a few years. Look at how quickly we forget stuff we thought we knew pretty well... or notice how much of it just disappears altogether if we make it to old-age. Personally, I think that EXPERIENCE is our most valuable possession. What we've experienced is what has marked & shaped us as the people we are -- regardless of whether we remember those experiences or not. But, on the other hand, I think I get what you're saying about knowledge -- that it's much more substantive and enduring than whether you're wearing new shoes or not (or sleeping under a duvet).
+Eric Dodson I agree, because the pursuit of experience is also the pursuit of knowledge, because to me the best knowledge comes from experience. There is only so much you can learn from a book. Experience results in knowledge
Just out of curiosity, do most people in the U.S. pronounce it neehilism? I would have thought it was similar to annihilation? Really great video anyway, I've downloaded it and will need to watch a couple more times.
We see nihilism as a bad thing because despite Galileo finding a millennia ago we we still consider our self the center of the universe. That this pale blue dot is anything other that are managers dictates at our place of work will mean something in a few decades. That all our advances require no understanding, that like Moore's law of computing we can just race threw and hurtle forward, with no more thaugh than as a fruit fly is observed through the test tube. Where are we going, no one knows for sure, but surly we are going there in a hurray, and isn't that what matters.
Not sure if this qualifies as nihilism, but I have no desire to pursue anything in this life, because I will die anyway, nothing excites me, and it's all worthless in the end. Life is too hard for me. I'm a failure, always have been. Been through so much pain and going through some more pain daily. I yearn for the day I die. Don't feel like struggling. Don't feel like being a "good person". And I don't even care what happens to me, be it in this life or the next one (whether it's just death or another life). It's all just emptiness. Nothingness. No sense of direction. Just droning in an Ouroboros world. It eats and reproduces itself for no apparent reason, causing all life to suffer. I hope one day it all just comes to an end and there is no more of anything. Just pure nothingness.
Nihilism dont speak in good or bad, it independed. If you feel dispair because of nihilism this because you care. If you dont care you are actally a nihilist (you can still have empathy, curiosity and ambitions but you dont depend on them and chain yourself to then or to any kind of idea or belief), freedom peace.
I think there's some unintentional sophistry going on in this video Eric. Your argument is basically, "isn't it the moments in our life in which we feel the most meaningless that we end up finding the most meaning in." It has nothing to do with whether nihilism as an ideology has merits or is even true or false.
Nihilism isn't just "moments" and "experiences" in life. It can't be experienced like it was an emotion. It is truth. It can only be accepted or fall into denial. You should not subvert nihilism into little bite-sized "moments" that humans can feel and then go about their business.
Good explanation about nihilism. In fact the Cohen brothers tries to explain the hypocrite nehilist vs the real Nehelist in The Big Lebowski. I also suggest you read about Hinduism principles on philosophy based on Vedas and Upanishads it clearly states these conditioning of mind. Bagavath Geethai will be a best point to start. I realise that most western philosophers unfortunately were driven to their madness because the people were not ready to understand their view at least the majority. In Hinduism this did not happen because we respected our Philosophers as we respected them and placed them in a position of a Guru. Which had a lot of responsibility in their hands to provide us the absolute truth.
Vanan Navarasan Yeah, I would say that Indian culture has done a much better job with making a prominent and valued place for philosophers within that culture -- as well as a better, more encouraging place for people who simply experience things in a deep way. The West is still trying to catch up in that regard (at least in my opinion).... Eric
I see some Christians here trying to convince the neighboring nihilists that life, or at least some parts of perspective, have meaning. Your morality is subjective, so how does that help?
Andres Lopez Yes. It might be objectively good or bad, as in the case of self-defense. Furthermore, morality is not universal and is not needed for survival.
it is.it's the reason we're still alive as species and so advanced.it's not needed for the survival of the indinidual,but for the survival of the species as a whole.
Basically Utilitarian.Without the obligation to a priori or moral maxim as the primary objective. The objective is the idea of exercising complete freedom in mind,body,and spirit.
""No, that's a misuse of the language. If you say that a non-goal is a goal, then you're using the language to defeat the mind." - John Cage Nihilism in a pure sense is pretty dumb because it is wields an unimportant proposition as something to follow. It is purely a problem of language, I am saying something even if nothing is what contains my ability to say something things still occur as before.
Nihilism is. That's it. It's neutral. It is what is before people start making shit up. What is not neutral is our reaction to it. Which is either suicide, existentialism (broadly everything with made up purpose) and absurdism
Hiya... just chanced upon your uploads recently. Spared me some difficult reading - but hasten to add I actually enjoy reading. Enough wriggling ... I wonder how you might contrast or liken philosophical analysis with the flypast of Pluto... Technology as an expression of the human inclination to venture for detail and facts anywhere possible.
Chris McLoughlin Actually, it seems to me that both the flypast of Pluto (and scientific exploration more generally) and philosophical analysis are both expression of the same basic desire -- to understand what's going on in our world and in our lives. It's just that scientific exploration takes a more external, empirical path, whereas philosophy takes a more internal, reflective path. (not that these are mutually exclusive... it's just a matter of emphasis). Moreover, I would say that in our better moments, the will to understand things scientifically informs our philosophical thinking, every bit as much as our philosophical insights inform how we understand the meaning & significance of our scientific insights. Basically, the two unfold in a dialectical relationship (when we're wise enough to let that happen). Well, that's my opinion, anyhow. Thanks for watching, and for the cool question! Eric
5:05 'which is what we're here for in the first place' Are we here for a purpose? I though that skeptics/nihilists held that there was no purpose to life.
Exactly. I would not be reconsidering Nihilism at that point, but just another belief in purpose. It is all paradoxical. Why even make the video? Are you not then serving for the purpose of truth? Why have people reconsider? Deep down it is because you feel meaning and do what you do anyways. Nihilism is the boogie man since it goes against everything that is what it is, including this very video. The Nazis may have permitted themselves to kill jews, but nihilism permits you to kill everyone. There is no ethic beyond the ethic of meaning. That is since it is all that is. All is good. Being is good. Here, there is an illusion of truth to perniciously convince others to this falsity of nihilism.
Hello Eric, Great lecture, I think you nailed every aspect of nihilism throughout life. Truly a "religion" that prepares oneself for death, in all the possible good ways :D
Pretty convoluted. It's not that one doesn't experience the dark side. It's when nihilism becomes an ideology to be espoused to. And bhuddism isn't a nihilistic ideology...
Nihilism isn't positive or negative. It is what is.
+Ten of Spades Yeah, as Shakespeare once famously put it, "There is nothing, neither good nor bad but thinking makes it so." And in an ultimate sense that's probably true. But on the other hand, our common linguistic and cultural practices tend to place a lot of emphasis on meting things out in terms of hierarchical categories like positive & negative, or good & bad. So, since my goal is to engage people by way of our world's predominant habits and practices, I'm trying to use the whole positive/negative distinction as a kind of stepping stone on the road to "It is what is." Eric D.
Eric Dodson
Fair enough. You've at least put some thought into this.
Which is more than can be said for most people.
When I tell Utilitarians I'm a Nihilist, they jump to emotional appeals.
Even lots of Atheists do this.
It's quite hilarious how presumptuous they all are on this topic.
Ten of Spades Well, like I was trying to say in the video, I think that a lot of the emotionality & presumptuousness comes out of people's basic insecurities about life... which is aided and abetted by our prevailing cultural practices. At least that's how I see things right now (subject to change). So it goes. Sigh.
Eric Dodson
Things are already absolutely horrible in the world, even if they do get worse that won't mean much.
History is a pendulum. Comfort yourself with that.
+Eric Dodson And more or less from people's intrinsic psychology around hierarchy/rank.
People are mostly driven by that without realizing it.
"You never recover from the disease of being born."
~ Emil Cioran
We want ze money lebowski.
+Sokami Mashibe but ve do not care, ve are nihilist
tomorrow ve come back and ve cut off your chonson!
Fascist at least had some ethos....
jaa vee are nihilists
Being there reboot.
I agree with this wholeheartedly. Everyone has to decide for themselves what is morally correct instead of staying within the boundaries of what religion or other people tell them to. In fact, Nihilistic people may be the most morally adept because we don't depend on other sources to bring meaning to life, but instead bring meaning with individual morals, art, music, etc. The greater "purpose" in a Nihilist's eyes may be just to live life to the full extent you can and bring your own meaning to it by just existing while you are still alive
+Eliza Groovy Yeah, it seems to me that life lived in robotic compliance with someone else's moralistic edicts is ultimately pretty shallow and dull. And I also agree that simply experiencing life -- without any extra belief-systems or moralistic mandates -- is already sufficient & complete, and more than enough to fill our hearts. And yeah, becoming a creator in life, rather than just a follower, can be an exhilarating & scary thing. But what more noble task for souls such as we? Thanks for the groovy comment. Eric D.
Thanks for the reply :)
My friends have told me that I'm such a strange character for being so nihilistic, for "thinking for myself". This.... Is very much true... But ... As a matter of fact, I am not actually, "thinking for myself". What I think; say is merely a copycat of other people's ideas. A combination of ideas perceived as if they were truth and knowledge... Or blasphemy. What you are reading now is only an echo of another person before me. Before them. And the meaninglessness that I myself perceive from others is the coping mechanism I use to deal with the void that is everything around me.
Neilism Degrasse Tyson
So long as nihilism is 'nothingness,' then the presence of fears, adversities, failures, setbacks and also Heidegger's "anxiety" are logically not part of nihilism. This video's suggestion of understanding nihilism as nothingness which is actually full of something is a fatal logical flaw of idealism (Plato, Kant, Hegel, Hitler, Marx); substituting what is not reality for what is unattractive about reality. Further, while It is life-enhancing to suggest that facing adversities and defeats and hardship directly is preferable to avoiding or ignoring them, note that the nothingness of nihilism is incapable of establishing any life-enhancing, life-flourishing, life-nourishing ethic of facing our failures or dealing with the evil in ourselves and others. It is impossible for the 'void' to create any evaluative ethics of approval or disapproval. Both of these two arguments in the video in favor of considering nihilism as something which is ethically anabolic are much like Nietzsche's 'bad' nihilism and 'good' nihilism, flawed by the psychic self-destruction of passivity, negativity, and pessimism (rejected Schopenhauer's undesired influence upon Nietzsche, which he fought bravely and well, usually). As long as the deeply pessimistic valuation of life in Buddhism: "Life is Suffering," or in Stoicism or in Gnosticism are used to establish an ethical life, passivity and negativity shape our lives and our culture. That's the fatal logical flaw of nihilism: the 'nothingness,' the 'void,' is death. Nihilism, like anarchism, as an ethic is better understood as the manifestation of a deep psychic desire for self-destruction; the negation of life, not the celebration of life.
Don Kirk
I was formulating a response to the video but I decided to see if anyone else had already engaged the topic and had done better than I was doing. You did. You expressed exactly my problems with his thesis and interpretation.
Seems to me that you misunderstand the nothingness that comes from the concept of Nihilism. It's about detachment from worldly things due to the belief that there is no such thing as ultimate purpose or meaning. Pretty simple. It's not taking life so seriously. It also doesn't automatically drive a person into despair. That only happens to sad people.
You should be the one doing the video: Excellent points.
Thanks, Eric, for another thought provoking video!
This may be one of my absolute favorites. And there are so many good ones to choose from!
I find your point about silence head on and possibly the single most important factor in human existence. Our ability to numb the noise and just be. .
I also find this subject one of the hardest to convey and I'm happy to be introduced to your line of thinking that makes great sense.
So, thanks again.
I am deeply impressed that one can publish videos of this quality on such a regular basis. And the accompanying images and music are just amazing!!
Thanks again!
Michael Wolffhechel Hi Michael... well, thanks once again for your warm, encouraging words. It's also nice to know that people are really perceiving the beauty I'm trying to put into the images & music. I agree that our relationship with silence is one of the great touchstones of real wisdom in this modern world. I think that that's why thinkers like Heidegger, as well as Buddhists, place so much emphasis on it. But, on the other side of the scale, silence can be an elusive thing in a world filled with technology... Anyhow, thanks once again for watching and taking the time to comment.... Eric D.
Eric Dodson Haha, yeah, I sometimes think of the image of the unruly school boy that's placed with a pointy hat in the corner of the classroom with his face against the wall. I reckon the punishment was both to shame someone and leave them alone with their thoughts. Do that today and the silence would be broken in a thumb click's time.
Look forward to where your next video project takes you. And if you should ever need a recommendation I would love to hear your take on Joseph Campbell.
Such a good ending and good way of describing the concept. You reminded me that the happy "Nihilist" is the one who is simply mindful and enjoying being a part of the present moment. So simple, but so elusive in practice. Thanks!
I would just like to tell you I love your videos and really enjoy listening to you. Philosophy is a very difficult subject, and its very satisfying when you listen to other people have similar thoughts to your own just to feel more connected to others.
Being A nihilistic is a choice, not the ultimate Truth, period
I've never been happier through a nihilistic perspective.
Nihilism/ existentialism is good for some but bad for The masses.
“ you can’t handle the truth”
A whole new set of thoughts. I'm not brand new to the thinking, but these are new alignments to those thoughts. I could ramble but instead will say thank you. I encountered it as part of your "assorted topics" playlist after I had encountered your Nietzche in 13(?) minutes. Obviously there are a LOT of thoughts on those two 'N-words' spread throughout society, but you are bringing relatability to the conversation.
At 4:55 "Nihilistic sensations and experiences are simply part of life's larger totality, Just another thing for us to experience on planet earth. Which is what we are here for in the first place."
First, I see nihilism as a philosophy, so phrases like "nihilistic sensations" and "nihilistic experiences" make no sense to me. Why not just say, "painful sensations and experiences."
Second, the whole statement is very anti-nihilist. The whole point is that we are not here for anything. There is no "divine predestination," there is no meaning to our existence. One can feel despondent or liberated about it, but this is what nihilism is.
Well, first... aren't abstract philosophical ideas (like nihilism) also reflected in various experiences we have in the everyday world? And if philosophical ideas are completely disconnected from our experience of life, well, why pay attention to them in the first place? Second, I'm saying "nihilistic sensations & experiences" to differentiate the kinds of experiences that involve some appreciable fraction of nihilistic insight or ideation. For instance, stubbing your toe is painful... but it probably doesn't involve much nihilistic ideation (at least for most people). Compare this, for instance, to the experience of contemplating suicide. Finally, the point of this video isn't to present a kind of vision of nihilistic purism (whose best expression would probably be to remain completely silent in a video consisting of a black screen), but to invite people to question what we usually just take for granted. But this requires speaking the lingua franca, so to speak, rather than the relatively inaccessible language of pure, logically consistent nihilism. It's a matter of sacrificing some measure of logical consistency so that people will actually watch the video, and be able to take it up from the perspective of their non-nihilistic lives.
***** It might be good to remember that the purpose of this video is draw people toward rethinking how they view nihilism -- NOT to present some kind of absolute vision of it in its logical purity. But of course that purpose will only be achieved if one speaks in the common vernacular -- both conceptually and linguistically.
Kurtlane
I think that the exact term should be "empty sensation".
Holy crap. While I was watching this video, all of a sudden I felt like everything was rotating around me, then an instant later my entire bedroom was violently jerked around counter-clockwise, all of its contents including myself flung about haphazardly and strewn across the floor. I can't imagine what happened...
Oh wait, that was MY LIFE TURNING AROUND.
I hold doors open for others because it is societally valued. My mother would scold me if I didn't. It's a method of interaction. It's an obligation, not a sincere feeling.
+William Hargrave I do it for the potential for reciprocal happiness :)
+William Hargrave But if you were to really decide not to do it any more, then probably you would simply stop doing it. In other words, there's really nothing stopping you from disobeying your sense of obligation. And in reality, isn't it true that you could have decided that all along? The point, of course, is that even what seems obligatory is really a kind of choice, even if doesn't seem like a "sincere feeling" at the time (actually, when you think about it, most of our choices in life are like that).
Fear is the mother of morality.
@williamofdallas-And that is why I generally do not hold doors open for others-well, I will for older folks, or those with an infirmity.
On the flip side, I will not hold any door open for any female-especially the really attractive ones
I know I do NOT want others holding doors open for me. Most people pretty much disgust me-
I've tried to change my perspective but have been unsuccessful. Perhaps I am about to snap?
The word nihilism doesn't mean the same thing it used to. Nihilism used to mean that you rejected society's beliefs and values in order to develop your own. Nihilism used to mean that you thought for yourself because you believed in yourself. Because of the mainstream's appropriation of this and other terms, there has been a re-direction and limitation placed upon public debate. Nihilism as come to mean not believing in anything because of self-loathing. Nihilism used to be the opposite of that. These days too many kids all think to be nihilistic means to be self-hatting. Self-loathing only serves your enemies.
That was fantastic!! I couldn't agree with you more what people don't realize the liberating dimensions that nihilism can present. Its like Albert Camus said “The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”
Excellent video. Loved it - thanks for posting! I’m a fan!
This is a fantastic video mate, entertaining, carefully constructed and shines some light on the present-but-often-ignored positives aspects of that "scary word". You got yourself a new subscriber.
I'm a nihilist and I'm fuukn lovn it ...I'm without care for god ,its judgement . the law of humanity is only opinion, meaning and purpose are illusion of Life and to top it all off when it all ends it ends forever. should there be a heaven I'm gonna bitch slap the first thing I meet. thanks for video I enjoy ur others aswell , not that it matters ;-)
I wrote quite a bit but I think it's worth the read:
6:50 basic inner sense of decency? That is either taught through systems of morality or doesn't exist at all, you can't be morally right because it doesn't exist within the framework of nihilism. For example, Christianity adds value to humanity that is why there is decency. I can't see it in nihilism. There shouldn't be a reason to be good to another human being... According to nihilism love shouldn't exist at all. That's my problem with it.
In fact, why should we feel sorry if it doesn't even matter? What is it about certain situations that make us sad or depressed? chemical imbalances? It doesn't add up in that sense. But I can't get this worldview out of my head, which is awful. There is nothing good about it, don't sugarcoat this topic. We search for what is real, we need more "real"
7:50 You aren't addressing the problem but rather flipping it to what has happened through historical extremism within "moral systems"
9:25 this is based on the emotions of a person on a particular day? What stops their emotions from one day to another? Emotions have a zero IQ.
10:30 it sounds as though nihilism is a fantasy trip, running away from problems doesn't make them go away. The Buddhist practice can also be extreme. It is important to realize this world's issues but also realize which ones can be taken care of through our own effort. to know what is in our control and let go of that which is not
but here's the main thing, nihilism will completely rid you of the deep questions of life and leave you empty. Nihilism promotes the "being-okay-with-it" mentality but can you just push it back forever? Eventually, when you are on the death bed it'll come back with a vengeance, I can assure you that. Nihilism sounds more so of an escape than a statement of truth. Like giving up, but perhaps that isn't bad because the answer is unavailable to us. I don't think the questions will just go away, especially if you remain a thinking human being without becoming as a rock through extreme meditation.
I don't assume the answer but I know we need something to hold on to or life really is nothing more than highs and lows.
I agree. And so in that sense, I wonder how do we gain the passion for life as before? I personally have lost all passion for self improvement and doing well in life. It doesn't matter to me anymore but I have material responsibility; the main responsibility, or the only one I have that I care about, is taking care of my parents. I want to be able to make the rest of their lives satisfactory from my part, and unfortunately that involves me going into one of the hardest career pathway. However I find it so hard because of my agnosticism. It has completely rid me of any competitiveness so I wonder if you have anything to say about how you might be dealing with life on your part?
"Life is already complete and self-suficient" & "The things that you own are the things that own you" ...To be present in the moment and everything else is distraction!!!
THANK YOU!
Hi, i have been learning and experience a lot about existentialism from your videos. thanks a lot. these are gems... you really simplified all the complex thoughts in very productive manner. video on Nihilism is great...it changed my perspective.. great work.
I'm a nihilist and I don't see a purpose to our existence... you explain this very well and I think it is correct... if we are lucky enough and live long enough, then we can make our own purposes while we are here... you have a new subscriber.
Elfenliedd Make your own purpose...
+Elfenliedd don't be depressed. laugh at this joke of life.
What is the point of purpose? Why make any purpose if everything amounts to nothing in the end? If when we all di, we are all the same and nothing is diffrent, then why bother?
How do you _know_ there is no god or afterlife?
+Smörhunden We don't, but it's very unlikely... It's a fairy tale made up by humans... Death is a mystery, but whatever happens it's not what religions have tried to tell us.. Evolve and Free Your Mind.. Best wishes.
I consider myself a nihilist when it comes to any form of philosophical thinking or debate, but in the end it doesnt matter if i believe in an indifferent universe, a god or something else, because when im hungry for pizza i dont have to worry about the ultimate meaning of my life. Its enough to get some freaking pizza.
Yeah, I think that there's truth in what you're saying. But by the same token, sometimes we get hungry to grapple with philosophical-type questions even more than we are for pizza (uhh... sorry about the mixed metaphor there).
Haha, thats true, but even then I dont think nihilism is a philosophical (or ethical) suicide (referring to Camus), on the contrary, it gives us the freedom to create ethics that actually serve us in the life we do live and experience (not in the abstract idea what it could be behind that mask), with all its hunger for pizza, as well as philosophical debate :3
Could be of course that im mixing nihilism with existentialism here, im just an amateur in the matter, but i think what ultimately just matters is the constructive mindset im getting out of it, not the meticilously correct use of terminology xD
On a side note, i really love your videos, especially those where you sum up famous philosophers :)
And im quite excited that you actually responded xD Eric Dodson
Well, get ready for more excitement then, 'cause here's another response.. actually a grab-bag of responses. As you've probably inferred, I very much agree with what yo're saying in your first paragraph. It's mostly about dropping the habit of thinking that we have to think & behave like programmed robots. Instead, it's about learning to lay claim to our deeper birthright as human beings, which is essentially a creative one. Also, don't worry about being an amateur; we're all actually amateurs compared to the depth and breadth of life. The only difference is in how able we are to admit that. Finally, thanks for tuning in to my videos. I'm actually doing the voice-over for a new one today. It's about the dynamics of privilege and shame, especially from an existential perspective. I'm also working on one on Phenomenology & Technological Consciousness, if you're interested in that topic. Anyhow, thanks again for watching. Eric D.
Great work on your videos Mr. Dodson. Thank you for your efforts in posting them; They are Very entertaining and informative. I've been watching quite a bit of your work the last couple days. It's refreshing to know there are others like minded, and appreciate critical thinking about being and existence. P.B. Pierson
Time stamps:
1. Nihilism: A Rough Definition (2:00)
2. Nihilism and Human Experience (2:55)
3. Growth and Transcendence (3:54)
4. Ethical Nihilism - Part 1 (5:08)
5. Ethical Nihilism - Part 2 (7:36)
6. Positive Possibilities (9:13)
7. Shunyata (emptiness) (9:49)
8. Intelligence (10:38)
9. Freedom (11:36)
10. Summary (13:17)
11. Fear and Anxiety (13:53)
12. Nihilism & Silence (14:32)
13. Finale: The Open Sky (15:29)
I first learned of this concept after reading Ivan Turgenev's _Fathers and Sons_ when I dropped out of college. That Russian masterpiece, which I consider one of my Top 2 favorite books (the other being Franny and Zooey) hit me hard and it still affects me to this day. In fact, it's what brought me to think like I do. I often reference that book in many areas in my life. Not that I'm nihilistic or anything, but there are some ideas in there that are very much relatable to an extent. It's one of those novels where I saw myself in every facet of each character. If you haven't already, go check that classic!
Thanks,, I’ll check it out 😊
I gotta say, this was one of the most elequant and lifeaffirming analysis of nihilism I've ever heard. I used to prefer Niezsches view, where the contemplation of lifes darker side possibly could serve as a springboard towards self-overcoming, but your marriage of nihilism with mindfullness integrates the potential darkness pleasantly with everyday life. Well Done!
Accepting the emptiness of the void is the first step in asserting the necessity of meaningful pursuit. I've never understood how that is a bad thing.
"Nihilism" is one of those weird words that means at least two totally different things.
There is nothing new about this.
On one hand, there is Bazarov from Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons," a man who wouldn't hurt a fly (he would see it as illogical and stupid). On the other hand, in my book on Russian history (published before 1913,) the killers of Tsar Alexander II are called "nihilists."
I think it is ridiculous to call People's Will (the killers of the Tsar) nihilists. They weren't believers in nothing. Just the opposite, they were fervent believers in the bright future world which they thought they would help bring by the killing. They were idealists -- the very opposite of nihilism.
Just look around today -- how many of the murderers are idealists. None are nihilists.
Back to Bazarov. He was a young man, an admirer and follower of Western enlightenment, of logic and science, who ran with all this to the logical conclusion that there is no logical reason in life itself, that a certain emptiness (nihil) appears as religious and other illusions are swept away, and he has accepted it.
This is not "dark night of the soul," because it is not a profound religious conviction that is overturned in a dark enlightenment, it is simply a logical, philosophic conclusion that little-by-little got into him and changed him, making him this calm, serene, passionless person.
And then, despite all the nihilism, he falls in love. Which he himself calls a mirage, nonsense, and yet he is unable to overcome it. The mirage proves stronger than his logic. And when he dies, he is sorry to die so young, He accepts death, but not all that willingly.
Reminds me of a haiku poem by Issa:
This dewdrop of a world.
It might be a dewdrop,
And yet...
Nihilism is very liberating, very honest, it is definitely a million times better than any kind of idealism, but it fails because we are not strong enough for what it demands.
Beautiful. I always say how nihilism felt liberating when it came across me. But i dont think it fails because people are not strong enough. It doesnt demand that. It just need acceptance that you yourself dont matter.
And in my eye there is nothing wrong with that. it isnt even hard, just a strange concept to understand for most.
The only reason it feels liberating is because it absolves you from all responsibility. If you don't matter, then nothing you do matters and you have no responsibility. Liberating maybe, yes. But the trade-off to that is that your life also has no meaning. Then you have to ask yourself if you are okay with living a life without meaning, and I decided I wasn't. Nihilism is attractive, but in the end it is a destructive, anti-life philosophy.
If he's a nihilist why would he overcome his feelings of love?
Does it even matter?
#AuditoryEscapism Your responsability is not real, just self-deception. Only a nihilist can aspire to be truly responsible. Nothing enhances life more than nihilism. Anything else is just terror management (as described by the terror management theory).
Dr. Dobson - thoughtful and enlightening! Thank you. I endorse the idea of more videos like this! Awesome
Anthony C. Thanks, Anthony. I'm thinking of doing an analysis of humanity's major world-problems, which in my view circulate around the issue of wisdom... so an analysis of wisdom, too. But I've learned that I'm not too great at predicting myself. So, I'm never completely sure what I'll do next. Anyhow, thanks for watching. Eric
Fantastic analysis. Subbed to your channel a while ago and the amount of clarity and fresh thinking you bring to the table is well, a breath of fresh air. Loved your video on Heidegger as well.
Just felt like expressing my appreciation :)
Well, thanks for that, Pindar. It's gratifying to know that people are enjoying these videos. So thanks for expressing that. Eric D.
The anxiety arising in nihilism disappears and we no longer fear that existential emptiness, when we get to seeing through the illusion of the separate egoic self.
Yes, I agree. A lot of the anxiety is really about maintaining the ego. Of course, the ego has its time & place in our lives. But then again, it's not our ultimate destination. Thanks for the thoughtful comment. Eric D.
I love nihilism. Why negatively value a concept/reality that treats us indifferently. Humans give death way more consideration than vice versa. In an existence where literally nothing intrinsically matters, Everything subjectively matters on a spectrum. Find some pointlessly interesting shit to do until you kick the bucket.
Why is nihilism accompanied by ugliness? Must it be pictured as evil?
Well, that's mostly just a matter of social custom. In other words, it seems ugly & evil mostly because that's how our world encourages us to see it. However, in its own right, it's inherently neither beautiful nor ugly, neither good nor evil. It simply is. As Shakespeare once said, "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." And so it is with nihilism.
I hate how depressed these thought processes have made me, but also devoid of emotion. All at the same time. The world is in a weird place. I’m in a weird place.
Life has no value, nor does this video, everything is irrelevant, especially experience.
+MafiaRaccoon Then the same must be true of your comment, as well as of the desire that motivated it in the first place.
Eric Dodson I already knew that. But still, I'm alive and therefore might as well do something otherwise I might as well act as a vegetable and not move an inch until I die. The same for everyone else.
+MafiaRaccoon Yeah, when we drop the constraints of having to live a meaningful life according to one definition or another, then we're free to do anything -- whether it's making videos, or writing comments, or experiencing things in one way or another.... so it goes.
Truest description yet.
This here is passive nihilism. Pretty sad and boring, right? Positive nihilism, instead, it's quite healthy, probably more than anything else.
"Posthumous men - I, for example - are understood worse than timely ones, but heard better. More precisely: we are never understood - hence our authority."
Much of our ethical behavior is simply based on habits. The majority come from watching and living in the tribe. The origin of right and wrong is another story. We all have moments of nihilism which may have some growth value but fortunately they pass.
its all just a big prank gone wrong
(gone sexual)
Roberto Sandoval (Almost got shot)
this channel is absolutely amazing!
There is no meaning, but our genes make us believe that that there is meaning so that we will pass them on and help them to survive. Life is a big con. :-)
Exactly. Of course for the most part those genes that affirm life and submit to life's illusions survive. But it is something to be aware about still, good reminder. That is probably why the vast majority of people "burn the witch".
Chris Ferguson Finally someone with sense. And sensible genetics. ;)
Ha, ha, ha.
It's just about what ended up existing and what did not. Things with genetics don't have a purpose to pass them down and reproduce, it's just what they do by nature
Seems nihilistic. For some people, having children is a big part of being human. Love for one's children could be an adaptation.
If there is no inherent meaning in anything, or in any of our experiences, I think the logical conclusion is that one would delve into a sort of subjectivism and relativism morally and philosophically. Which in one sense, would force a person toward extisentialism or absurdism. It is true that the darkest moments in life make us question the heart of our worldviews. Sinking into nothingness for the time, sulking in the disappointment and pain contained in life.
Nihilism is the philosophy of the depressed. Its the negative reaction to failure and disappointments in life.
I'm a nihilist for 4 years now, and experienced the good and the bad sides you mentioned, now I'm on a better way but still insecure and scared, becouse I wasn't before and i wasn't ready for it, and still too young for some lifelessons and situations...abusing drugns, weed and alchol and now I'm on my way to find myself again, mosly in the form of becoming my former self but without the bad sides, a nihilst with a will to live, great vid bud
jukaa1012 Wow, it sounds like you're on a brave path that requires a lot of courage -- especially insofar as your road seems to invite a lot of misunderstanding and mis-comprehension from other people. The thing about self-destructive behavior (like the ones you're mentioning) is that nihilism gives you no reason to avoid all of that... but it also gives you no reason to seek it out. If you're a nihilist, there's no particular reason to seek out hedonism, any more than there's a reason to seek out anything else. Really what you're left with is nothing other than what you're experiencing from moment to moment -- without all of the extra baggage of beliefs, ambitions, big plans, scary monsters to avoid, etc. But I also sometimes think that some thoughts can be dangerous in some minds. So... since I don't know you, I might add a cautionary note about being circumspect about what you decide to make real. Just a thought. Anyhow, thanks for the cool and thoughtful comment. Eric D.
I overcame depression already and the life experiances that used to hold me back catapulted me forward now, but now I have to deal with things that people usualy already dealt with at this age(I'm 21) witch comes easier to me now but it is also holding me back as I schould already be acquainted with these things so my head is a little bit messed up, all in all it was and still is an experiance that not alot people have at this young age(not only drugs but also sex, abuse, poverty, love) and I'm thankful for that, feeling lucky kinda
jukaa1012 Personally, I feel that how a person sees life, and the kinds of experiences he or she seeks out, should serve to enhance the best parts of life. So, if nihilism seems to be having that effect for you, I'd say stay with it. If something else seems better after a while, well, you're allowed to change your mind and your direction in this world. As I think back on being 21 (I'm 55 now), I remember that it seemed like a fairly difficult time of life -- partly because the adult world and its demands felt so new and foreign, and partly because there aren't too many places in our society for 21-year-olds to fit in easily. So, if I could offer you any kind of advice from a few decades ahead on life's road, I'd say, keep your head up, try to avoid things that break you down, and focus on things that build you up -- physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually... and remember that things will get easier if you manage to do that more-or-less consistently over time. Eric
Its more like nihilism is my explenation, i used to pratice it daily a few years back and than shit came in and I blamed it on nihilism leaving me floating around unsure of anything but nowdays if I realy think about it yes I would say I'm a nihilist, but not a dedicted one, it just shows me the way from time to time, not realy effecting my judgement
thans Eric, I've taken a liking to your vids too, this one in particular helped me change some views and solidify other, all in all keep up the good work :)
Please answer me this. Eric and everyone who wants to.
14:57 did you refer to... "Nothing"?
Like the fear of beeing nothing but matter and disolving into nothingnes after death for example?
And also, do you believe it, whoever reads this?
Wow, the emptiness has roused a lot of fear! The comments make me realize that I have, in the past, been offended or defensive when engaging my friends with Nihilist ideas. I’ve missed out on learning how they deal with the discomfort, and what it allows them to see. Thanks!
beautiful, Eric, thanks. i might also add it forces us to be responsible.
Have you ever made a video on your political views? I'd love to hear your opinion on socialism, anarchism and capitalism. You just seem so neutral and informed, I feel like you'd be able to explain everything without bias
Well, thanks. Actually, I was toying with the idea of doing something on politics. Your comment makes it more likely that I'll do that... so thanks for the feedback. Eric D.
By asking why enough we realise that there is no deeper meaning aside from that which we give. Meaning only exists in the mind, so it is down to us choose what matters to us. Nihilism, in my opinion, is therefore the greatest freedom provided by any philosophy.
And that is why ethics is completely pointless. Thank you. Honestly, what's so bad about everything having no purpose. I mean, you don't controll all of your actions, and you are human, so just keep doing and thinking what humans should, just as you are right now. There's no reason not to do so.
As a christian i felt like i should be helping people because god would want me to. As i became agnostic and eventually nihilistic, i felt a much more tangible sense of empathy towards the suffering of others because i had accepted that god isnt out there making sure everything goes well for people and their suffering became equal to my own. I stopped seeing myself as the star of gods play and more of a responsible moral agent in a cold uncaring universe and the whole "if not me, then who" became much more real.
I love the art and images that go along with the narration.
Hi Eric,
Ive always been a history fan and i might know where the anti-nihilist stance comes from.
The last tsars of russia were killed by nihilists, Alexander II was the (dictator) monarch who realised that his people needed to be more free. The exact story is alot more interesting, but in the end there was the great war wich triggered communism. Most of us know now, that for communist ethics to work, the whole world needs to be (conquered) one.
terrorists have always existed in hierarchic society, end of the 19th century the nihilists, 20th century communism or capitalism, today religous extremists. All of them want more compassion and know that actions speak louder than words...
Heidinger is wrong. Nothingness does not reveal itself through anxiety. In the state of anxiety we feel emotionally compelled to believe our thoughts however paranoid they may get and whether they are true or not, therefore when anxious the anxiety seems related to empirically factual phenomenon when in fact it is just cooked up by our mind and life processes.
so well said. I really enjoyed the last segment especially.
A experience of nihilism is an experience we all have and can benefit from.
A nihilistic philosophy for life is something much different and will lead to despair.
the difficulty of nihilism is that it provides no answers. at least something like existentialism or absurdism has some way of beginning to answer the questions it raises
To me it seems like an absolutist stance which can be applied to other philosophies, but not has no content within itself.
Great video! As an idealist who identified with many idealistic notions in philosophy, I eventually came to question all of them in an attempt to discover the actual truth for myself. In my descent (or maybe ascent ;) to a state of nihilism, while at the same time becoming much more aware of what Carl Jung was saying about confrontation with the unconscious, it struck me that it is a transitory state where ones illusions break down, and a place of clarity where someone is taking an important step in Jungs process of individuation on which to perhaps begin to build the proverbial true self.
I do think one needs to understand even the philosophies they don't agree with as there is well thought out truths in them and something to gain, just not necessarily your truth or the whole truth, but those which help you move forward in your own understanding of life and the world. Those who use nihilism as a conclusion of which to live by, or as an excuse for intellectual laziness and ignorance to the history of ideas need to reevaluate what they think they understand.
+Bob Odda Bob... wow, I appreciate how your connecting nihilism with Jungian individuation. I hadn't thought of that! As you say, "...a transitory state when one's illusions break down, and a place of clarity where someone is taking [or perhaps beginning to take] an important step..." Sweet! And thanks for taking the time to articulate that! Cheers, Eric D.
What a wonderful perspective! Thank you.
13:15 Made me think of the song by The Beatles, Nowhere Man.
10 months have passed and my position as elucidated in my previous comment has changed, or rather been pulled inside out. take a read and tell me what you think:
nihilism is a faith based position in the same way a belief in god is a faith based position.
to conclude life and the universe has no ultimate meaning you would have to examine it as a whole, since as humans we are limited to a tiny part of the universe our knowledge of the whole of the universe is insufficient to come to this conclusion with anything even remotely resembling certainty. life may appear to have no meaning but there was a time when the earth appear flat, appearances can and often are deceptive.
whether life and the universe does or does not have an ultimate meaning is unknowable to us at this current time. in the same way the existence of god is. life and the universe could have an ultimate meaning and we would be ignorant to it in the same way a cog in a machine (if sentient) would be ignorant to its place in the larger system of things due to its limited perspective. the cog's life would appear to be without meaning, it spends its entire life going in a circle in what seems to be a completely inconsequential and purposeless manner. if the cog could see the entirety of the system it exists within it would see that its function does have purpose, even if that purpose is limited in scale.
the only intellectually honest position with respect to the question of whether life and the universe has any ultimate meaning is that of agnosticism. in the same way the, the only intellectually honest position with respect to the question of whether there is or is not a god is that of agnosticism.
since there is insufficient evidence to conclude life and the universe has no ultimate meaning or purpose, such a belief is based on faith rather than knowledge.
Well said.
There are only two things that can be objectively said about the 'reality' we reside in...
One is.. it's amoral and two it's nihilistic. Understanding both concepts sounds like a 'meaningful' pursuit...
Once you get both concepts you can then rewrite the often posed question...
'What's the meaning of life' to the meaningful 'What's the meaning of your life'
If there is a basic sense of inborn human decency that causes us to open doors for each other then life isn't without meaning. We would do this because that person has intrinsic value or because we have assigned that person a value. If A is true then Nihilism isn't. If B is true then we must ask where does this value come from which we have assigned it. It cannot be intrinsic. Just because certain parts of life may seem or be nihilistic doesn't mean that all life is devoid of meaning.
I like Eric. He has the healthy outlook of a generalist.
I believe his work was the inspiration for the recent "Defense of Postmodernism" from The Partially Examined Life, as a response to the polemics coming from Jordan B Peterson.
Peterson tends to overinflate the threat of nihilism (derived from Nietzsche) which I do think is a real threat to our culture in the West be a real problem (see Douglas Murray "The Strange Death of Europe") but to propose a return to a kind of Jungian Traditionalism strikes me as a step backward. I do like a lot of JBP, but he tends to gloss over the weaknesses in his arguments with impassioned rhetoric and assertions.
Nihilism is the reality of human life, and all deep thinkers and philosophers ultimately come to that conclusion. Even Friedrich Nietzsche understood that life is essentially meaningless. How can it not be? You're born to die and then everything is over. What Nietzsche did however, was to posit the question of how to nevertheless overcome nihilism. His answer was that the individual alone must create his own value system, and his own 'meaning' or 'cause' in life. Like being a play actor really, so that it satisfies you. He also posited the 'overman' idea, in which one constantly struggles to overcome hurdles, and only by doing this does one feel that sense of "meaning". However, as one ages, and things fall out of control in many ways, Nietzsche's philosophy is no longer sustainable. His is a philosophy for the young and healthy. I think if Nietzsche would have lived to be older, he would have embraced Buddhism - the only true way.
"[W]ise men at their end know dark is right...".
~~Dylan Thomas
f p destroys the joke of eastern prac tice n climing a mountain to do nothing at the top
everything you said was good until, you said Frederick Nietzsche would embrace Buddhism today... Nietzsche would have been an Atheist plain and simple..
We can claim to believe in nothing, but then claim that we believe in human decency enough to hold the door open for someone? Obvious error.
I believed that Nihilism originated as a counter force against the Prussian state where militarism and war were the way to grow in society…
Thank you very much Eric, - Silence explains everything.
Nihilism is an unstable state, no one alive is a nihilist .. it's the manifestation of the "absolute" of nothingness, you can never reach the state of nihilism, like it's the case with "happiness".
Human decency, that’s a good one.
Thomas Aquinas noted, good draws its virtues from evil. Carl Jung, explored the shadow and found himself staring into a mirror. If nihilism is ultimately nirvana. Anything positive in nihilism is desiring which means conflict. In nothingness, desire does not exist. If positivity exist in nothingness by its own virtues the opposite must also exist. Which is what this video presented. Nirvana then must be separated from nihilism.
So Nihilism could be viewed as a clean slate from which you can actively shape the direction of your own life pursuing things you have a passion for and interest in, to color the slate. This should give meaning to everyone who feels that their lives have no meaning. What it means is, that you get to decide for yourself instead of having someone else dictate to you the meaning. We can create our own purpose, right?
+Terry Thompson Yeah, that's pretty much how I see it, too. As the great sage Tyler Durden once put it, "It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything." But on the other side of the ledger, most of us have learned to cherish what imprisons & enslaves us.
+Eric Dodson It makes me realize just exactly how precious and valuable life is, and just how lucky we are to be able to experience it. I just watched fight club last night. I have arrived at the conclusion that knowledge is the most valuable possession anyone can have. Despite being somewhat destitute currently, my life has been good. I have accomplished many things. I don't worry about an afterlife, or trivial things beyond my control. Now I spend my time enjoying the creation of music, art, and programming. No regrets. I still have many years to look forward to, as well as many more accomplishments. Tyler does make me miss my MMA days in Japan though, lol. I think I will seek the nearest dojo and get back into it. I think the primary difference between Tyler's philosophy and mine is, that I specialize in creation, rather than destruction. That is my joy
Terry Thompson Wow, I didn't know I was speaking to your world so directly with the Tyler Durden thing. Anyhow... even knowledge fades and disappears after a few years. Look at how quickly we forget stuff we thought we knew pretty well... or notice how much of it just disappears altogether if we make it to old-age. Personally, I think that EXPERIENCE is our most valuable possession. What we've experienced is what has marked & shaped us as the people we are -- regardless of whether we remember those experiences or not. But, on the other hand, I think I get what you're saying about knowledge -- that it's much more substantive and enduring than whether you're wearing new shoes or not (or sleeping under a duvet).
+Eric Dodson I agree, because the pursuit of experience is also the pursuit of knowledge, because to me the best knowledge comes from experience. There is only so much you can learn from a book. Experience results in knowledge
Just out of curiosity, do most people in the U.S. pronounce it neehilism? I would have thought it was similar to annihilation? Really great video anyway, I've downloaded it and will need to watch a couple more times.
love your videos man )) very intellectual and educational
gegi kirtadze Dang, dude... you're quick on the draw! I didn't even know that this video was even posted yet! Congratulations (and thanks!).
Eric Dodson i'd like t o ask if you could make a video about barch spinoza he's one of my favourite theist philosophers much grateful and good luck ))
gegi kirtadze Eric Dodson I would also like to watch a video about him.
We see nihilism as a bad thing because despite Galileo finding a millennia ago we we still consider our self the center of the universe. That this pale blue dot is anything other that are managers dictates at our place of work will mean something in a few decades. That all our advances require no understanding, that like Moore's law of computing we can just race threw and hurtle forward, with no more thaugh than as a fruit fly is observed through the test tube. Where are we going, no one knows for sure, but surly we are going there in a hurray, and isn't that what matters.
Not sure if this qualifies as nihilism, but I have no desire to pursue anything in this life, because I will die anyway, nothing excites me, and it's all worthless in the end. Life is too hard for me. I'm a failure, always have been. Been through so much pain and going through some more pain daily. I yearn for the day I die. Don't feel like struggling. Don't feel like being a "good person". And I don't even care what happens to me, be it in this life or the next one (whether it's just death or another life). It's all just emptiness. Nothingness. No sense of direction. Just droning in an Ouroboros world. It eats and reproduces itself for no apparent reason, causing all life to suffer. I hope one day it all just comes to an end and there is no more of anything. Just pure nothingness.
It seems like you are severely depressed. Please, consider visiting a professional therapist
Nihilism dont speak in good or bad, it independed. If you feel dispair because of nihilism this because you care. If you dont care you are actally a nihilist (you can still have empathy, curiosity and ambitions but you dont depend on them and chain yourself to then or to any kind of idea or belief), freedom peace.
dude love your way of rationalizing...u should do a video for many more conditions.or maybe you already do ..just saw 1st time
I think there's some unintentional sophistry going on in this video Eric. Your argument is basically, "isn't it the moments in our life in which we feel the most meaningless that we end up finding the most meaning in." It has nothing to do with whether nihilism as an ideology has merits or is even true or false.
Excellent video! Thank you Eric!
Nihilism isn't just "moments" and "experiences" in life. It can't be experienced like it was an emotion. It is truth. It can only be accepted or fall into denial. You should not subvert nihilism into little bite-sized "moments" that humans can feel and then go about their business.
Good explanation about nihilism. In fact the Cohen brothers tries to explain the hypocrite nehilist vs the real Nehelist in The Big Lebowski. I also suggest you read about Hinduism principles on philosophy based on Vedas and Upanishads it clearly states these conditioning of mind. Bagavath Geethai will be a best point to start. I realise that most western philosophers unfortunately were driven to their madness because the people were not ready to understand their view at least the majority. In Hinduism this did not happen because we respected our Philosophers as we respected them and placed them in a position of a Guru. Which had a lot of responsibility in their hands to provide us the absolute truth.
Vanan Navarasan Yeah, I would say that Indian culture has done a much better job with making a prominent and valued place for philosophers within that culture -- as well as a better, more encouraging place for people who simply experience things in a deep way. The West is still trying to catch up in that regard (at least in my opinion).... Eric
Why to you keep vilifying anarchism? You're using the word wrong.
I see some Christians here trying to convince the neighboring nihilists that life, or at least some parts of perspective, have meaning. Your morality is subjective, so how does that help?
+Sans the Moral Compass so you would say that murdering someone is only subjectively bad? I'm just trying to understand a Nihilist's point of view.
Andres Lopez Yes. It might be objectively good or bad, as in the case of self-defense. Furthermore, morality is not universal and is not needed for survival.
it is.it's the reason we're still alive as species and so advanced.it's not needed for the survival of the indinidual,but for the survival of the species as a whole.
it's definitely moral objectivism that is the whipping boy in philosophy classes today.
Basically Utilitarian.Without the obligation to a priori or moral maxim as the primary objective. The objective is the idea of exercising complete freedom in mind,body,and spirit.
""No, that's a misuse of the language. If you say that a non-goal is a goal, then you're using the language to defeat the mind." - John Cage
Nihilism in a pure sense is pretty dumb because it is wields an unimportant proposition as something to follow. It is purely a problem of language, I am saying something even if nothing is what contains my ability to say something things still occur as before.
Nihilism is. That's it. It's neutral. It is what is before people start making shit up. What is not neutral is our reaction to it. Which is either suicide, existentialism (broadly everything with made up purpose) and absurdism
Hiya... just chanced upon your uploads recently. Spared me some difficult reading - but hasten to add I actually enjoy reading. Enough wriggling ... I wonder how you might contrast or liken philosophical analysis with the flypast of Pluto... Technology as an expression of the human inclination to venture for detail and facts anywhere possible.
Chris McLoughlin Actually, it seems to me that both the flypast of Pluto (and scientific exploration more generally) and philosophical analysis are both expression of the same basic desire -- to understand what's going on in our world and in our lives. It's just that scientific exploration takes a more external, empirical path, whereas philosophy takes a more internal, reflective path. (not that these are mutually exclusive... it's just a matter of emphasis). Moreover, I would say that in our better moments, the will to understand things scientifically informs our philosophical thinking, every bit as much as our philosophical insights inform how we understand the meaning & significance of our scientific insights. Basically, the two unfold in a dialectical relationship (when we're wise enough to let that happen). Well, that's my opinion, anyhow. Thanks for watching, and for the cool question! Eric
Thanks for the prompt response.
5:05
'which is what we're here for in the first place'
Are we here for a purpose?
I though that skeptics/nihilists held that there was no purpose to life.
Yeah...I caught that little slip up as well in the video.
What makes you think that nihilists would feel a need to worship at the temple of logical consistency?
Hah. Yes, I internally screamed 'we have no purpose!' At that point in the video.
Exactly. I would not be reconsidering Nihilism at that point, but just another belief in purpose. It is all paradoxical. Why even make the video? Are you not then serving for the purpose of truth? Why have people reconsider? Deep down it is because you feel meaning and do what you do anyways. Nihilism is the boogie man since it goes against everything that is what it is, including this very video. The Nazis may have permitted themselves to kill jews, but nihilism permits you to kill everyone. There is no ethic beyond the ethic of meaning. That is since it is all that is. All is good. Being is good. Here, there is an illusion of truth to perniciously convince others to this falsity of nihilism.
" If there is no transcendant value, man can do anything." To paraphrase Fyodor Dostoyesky
Thank you for this great video!
Hello Eric,
Great lecture, I think you nailed every aspect of nihilism throughout life.
Truly a "religion" that prepares oneself for death, in all the possible good ways :D
Nihilism is the truth, nihilism is the key to emptiness.
interesting video that has helped clear up some of my thoughts, thank you
The crowd is stirred up over this one.
Pretty convoluted. It's not that one doesn't experience the dark side. It's when nihilism becomes an ideology to be espoused to. And bhuddism isn't a nihilistic ideology...