Nihilism

Ethics, which is a branch in philosophy, in a boarder sense reflects mankind’s ability in applying reason and regulating their actions for the greater good.It is their moral campus which allows them to be ‘good’ while preventing ‘evil' from prevailing. Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill provide the pillars for what constitutes the discussion of Ethics in philosophy. However, since I am dealing with a case within a realm of science, I am using Søren Kierkegaard's application of Ethics…

In his album I Am…, Nas also has a song that touches upon religious imagery called “Hate Me Now.” The song’s Christian influence is not portrayed through the lyrics but through the imagery in the music video. Nas depicts himself as bloodied and battered walking through a crowd of hecklers as he wears a thorny crown and carries a cross. Nas’ portrayal mirrors the crucifixion of Jesus. The video was so controversial at the time that some Youtube versions even had to have disclaimers. Nas uses…

Realism is a period of art that started in the 1850’s and has continued on in various forms since then. In a literary sense Realism is the attempt to portray life as it is and not, like the Romantics, as it should be. This philosophy is the heart of Realism and “has its origins in Descartes and Locke” who laid the groundwork for Empirical thought (Ian Watts, Rise of the Novel). Realism portrays society by using Empirical methods, the human senses, to create an objective view of reality in the…

I think (and some of you will probably agree) that this year was mostly characterized by a concept known as nihilism. This is defined by Merriam-Webster to be “a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that existence is senseless and useless.” Our senior year was not marked by confusion, forgetfulness, or acceptance; we rather asked ourselves…

about the morality of arranged marriages, and the inconvenience of love within eastern traditional eastern cultures. That same year, I ditched the arranged marriage final research paper for the development of a thesis on the ethics of existential nihilism and the decline of western…

Does Personality Exist in the World Around Us? Do you ever question yourself what the meaning and purpose is behind some of the most complex areas of life and possibly life after death? In the 2004 movie, I Heart Huckabees, an existential detective couple who is married work together to help people find the answers to all of their existential questions. In particular, the two existential detectives, Bernard and Vivian Jaffe, set out on a mission to help a young adult by the name of Albert…

Dostoevsky, in retrospect brought on by his punishment and acceptance of religion, saw flaws in his old revolutionary and nihilistic ways and mirrored this in Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov's life parallels to that of Dostoevsky's in many ways, and Raskolnikov seems to represent a past version of Dostoevsky himself. Dostoevsky's shift back to religion stemmed from his yearning to find familiarity in his life, an ideology that made sense to him. During his time in prison, as with many prisoners,…

“People are perverts. That’s the foundation of my career.” -David Fincher. Morbid curiosity is what keeps people from looking away from a car accident. It’s what makes us ponder natural disasters, fights, disfigurement, war, crime, and other macabre themes. Humans have an inherent inclination to be drawn to things that disgust, upset, and unsettle and Fincher knows this. He has made it the rock upon which he builds his works, diving head-first into worlds of mischief, murder, and mayhem. He…

Albert Camus' The Stranger presents to the reader the character of Meursault who one might describe as an absurd hero. However, the contemporary definition of the absurd as untrue, illogical, or ridiculous is not what is being referred to. Rather, the characteristic of being an absurd hero refers to the acceptance of the Absurd or Absurdist philosophy, a philosophy which requires differentiation from existentialism, which it is often confused with. Meursault’s acceptance of this philosophy is…

Act 1 Scene 2 is a key moment that includes Hamlet’s first soliloquy, during which the audience start to understand the complexity of Hamlet and his personal state of melancholia. Shakespeare’s use of syntax, fanatic language and striking imagery develops the tension within Hamlet’s relationship with Gertrude, while feeding the reoccurring theme of misogyny. Shakespeare uses intense juxtapositions and the theme of corruption to strengthen the characterisation of Claudius, through the eyes of…