What is the meaning of Nihilism? Concept and Definition of Nihilism

Definition, concept, meaning, what is nihilism

1. Concept of nihilism

The philosophical current known as nihilism is that which is based on the presumption that nothing can be known, understood or known that life has no meaning whatsoever to decipher. This implies that the human being is not subordinated to values, beliefs or any upper body parameters since, anyway, you cannot know it for sure.
The term nihilism comes from the latin, a language in which nihil means 'nothing'. In this way, nihilism could be understood as the denial of all that exists, or, in other words, the nothing. One of the most important and Central of this philosophical movement is precisely denial of various aspects of human life, and even of life itself. For the nihilists, life does not possess no meaning worthy of being known, interpreted or deciphered, as neither does morality, religion, the political forms, etc.
Nihilism is a phenomenon arisen mainly in the 19th century from the works of various authors including Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Heidegger are the most recognized. Each of them made a different interpretation of this kind of thinking but in other words we can say that the three worked on life and the lack of this significance in a world as complex as the postmodern world. Thus, for nihilists authors nothing what human beings can do to revalue their identity, their peculiarities, their interests or fears can be useful since life has lost all meaning (or never had it) and therefore it is impossible to know or know nothing about it. In many ways, nihilism is associated with dark modes and no sense of understanding human existence on Earth.

2. Definition of nihilism

Nihilism is a term that comes from the latin nihil, meaning "nothing". It is the negation of all religious, social and political principle. The term was popularized by the novelist Iván Turgenev and the philosopher Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi. Over time, it became used as a mockery of the most radical generation and to characterize those lacking moral sensibility.
Nihilism is a philosophical position that denies dogmas. He argues that human existence is not, objectively, no meaning or superior essential purpose. Why is opposed to all that which preaches a purpose that does not have a verifiable explanation.
The nihilists want to abandon preconceived notions and lead a fun life, with completion options that are not related to things that are considered non-existent. It is important to note that nihilism is not linked to pessimism or lack of beliefs, but that, by denying all dogma, it is a position open to infinite options.
Philosophers tend to distinguish between this positive and active nihilism that proposes new alternatives of the negative or passive, nihilism, embodied in ideas of negligence and self-destruction.
Nihilism as political expression is linked to anarchism since it rejects the hierarchies, the authority and the mastery of man over man. In some countries, such as Russia, the nihilistic cultural movement was the origin of the anarchist political groups who fought for the abolition of the State.
Nihilism also tends to be associated with punk rock, a musical and cultural movement that advocates the self-management, critical of the Church and opposes consumerism.

3. Meaning of nihilism

The greatest exponent of nihilism is Nietzsche (1844-1900) that revived an already existing concept among the ancient Greek skeptics, and consists of a philosophical position opposite to metaphysics and ontology, since being is conceived as an inconsequential "nothing". In fact, the etymology, refers to latin, where "nihil" means "nothing".
Does not exist in the life a further purpose, life after death, there is no values or authority who undergo, or irrefutable knowledge, especially what they aren't verifiable and seek to establish by faith.
It is an ideology without dogmas, open to many possibilities, because it believes the world a constant evolution, that man must disposed of and not try to evade it; but no theological or political ties, in this case, advocating anarchism. Man must find his consciousness on Earth, destroying the idea of God, and giving rise to what he calls "the new man" or "Superman".
For Nietzsche the vital essence is the will to power, if it does not exist just nothing, nihilism, which is represented by the pseudo values that man believes that they are true, but they are a lie, that collapses, because Active nihilism will demonstrate its falsity, and will lead to the emergence of new values.
At the same time, Martín Heidegger (1889-1976) at least until the second world war holds that man seeks refuge in a not real existence to escape the anguish that produces nothing that represents his finite existence. The man would have a real existence, if it were accepted as a being destined to die.