Nihilism

Many philosophers and other devout pessimist have made claims that the Buddhist lifestyle is ultimately pessimistic. It’s easy to take the teachings of the buddha and apply them to a pessimistic lifestyle but the basis of pessimism is denial and that’s the opposite of what the buddha was attempting to teach. The basis of Buddhism is the four noble truths which are the existence of suffering, that suffering has a cause, that there is a cessation of suffering, and that the Eightfold path is the…

Existentialism, a noun made up of five syllables is one of the most daunting words in the English language. The idea that we “humans” have no meaning in life until we find a way to make our lives mean something, for some of us that time never comes. Ernest Hemingway wrote many short stories that have the underlying message of existentialism and that includes his story “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” which follows the late night events within a cafe. Through this everlasting night we see three…

2) a,b : This passage is taken from "What is Enlightenment", by Immanuel Kant, from the first page of the essay. Kant is criticizing the over dependence of a grown up individual for nurturing and caretaking and possibly resisting the responsibilities brought to him. He says these deficiencies are caused by laziness and cowardice. Kant states that enlightenment is a man freeing himself from self-imposed nonage. He moves on explaining the reasons why this nonage takes place, and then moves on…

Neutral Tones Analysis The poem ‘Neutral Tones’ by Thomas Hardy is a dark, solemn poem, reflecting on the termination of a relationship that he had in the late 1860s. It has a very melancholic note and in the duration of the poem, he shows the sadness and emotions in the narrator. The poem was published in 1898, however at the bottom of the poem he marked it as being written in 1867, perhaps he did not want it to be published then, before he met Eliza Nickels. It has a rhyme pattern of ABBA as…

Assisted Suicide by Mark Friedman defines physician assisted suicide as a,” form of suicide in which a doctor or nurse provides advice, instruction, or materials to the person who commits suicide” (Friedman). Physician assisted suicide and whether or not it should be legal is an age-old ethical issue sparking severe controversy. The debate dates back to “Greek and roman philosophers”. (Ferguson) There are books, news stories and movies that have been made about the issue. As far back as 1998 60…

The Comedy of Nothingness: Nihilism of the Comedian in Watchmen In Alan Moore and Gave Gibbons’ 1986 comic Watchmen, a recurring theme throughout the novel is the use of Nihilism. I will be doing a close reading/literary analysis of how nihilism is reflected and used in the comic Watchmen. I will argue that doing a close reading of the character The Comedian in Watchmen, I can show how the philosophy of Nihilism is reflected not only in the comic but how that connection is represented in present…

Nietzsche is the most important thinker and representative of nihilism after the first-century philosopher Gorgias. Friedrich Nietzsche rejects existing values and order, and also does not accept the value of any entity. Nietzsche says that the traditional foundations who have been adopted by modern people, has collapsed. Therefore, old values should be left and they should be reconstructed. This change takes place only by the will to power and the superior man. According to him, people can…

Philosophical nihilism existed long before it was referred to as “nihilism.” Credit for the development of ancient nihilism can be given to the skepticism of the ancient Greeks. The man most often portrayed as the original skeptic, and perhaps also the original nihilist, was Gorgias (483-378 B.C.E.) who is famous for having said: "Nothing exists” (Russell, 2004, p. 40). The Skeptics regarded the basic principle of their outlook as epistemological caution. They were adamant about not making…

Part II: Nihilism and its Relation to War, Modernism, Religion, Socialism, Marxism and Communism War and Nihilism While war can be profitable to those in power as a way of strengthening their power and auhority, but its outcomes is nothing but misery and poverty for the people. The loss of lands, the establishment of new territories, displacement, depopulation, separation of the family members, death and devastation, the destruction of economic and social structures of the country, famine,…

Existential Nihilism Defined Existential nihilism is the philosophy that existence is devoid of purpose. I subscribe to this philosophy because of my past disagreements with religious authorities and because it helps me to cope with personal struggles and emotions. Although nihilism appears depressing at face value, an understanding of its true virtues opens endless possibilities. The Oxford English Dictionary sums up nihilism as ‘the rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in…