"Political Nihilism"

[Natall]

Perhaps the title is a misnomer, though it's frankly the most congruous way of categorizing this form of Nihilism. A nihilism encapsulating -in this case- a political ideological dimension. I.E., those persons who espouse the meaninglessness of political ideology. This is a comment I came across on youtube:

" Dear Mike, 'My' system? I don't think I've advocated one, have I? I prefer 'practical politics' - the contingency school, as it was known. Life is by far too complex a thing, and human nature far too unreliable to be vouchsafed simple dogma, whether left or right. Besides, I'm not too sure maximising freedom is such a worthy lodestone - I certainly wouldn't want to 'maximise' Luis Garavito's 'freedom’. "


I am agog to know what you make of it - what are your thoughts? By the way I am new here and this is my first post.

[Kokayne]

Here go my two cents:

I've had my fair share of experiences with this type of people, and I can tell you that they're the know-it-all types. They don't really have a proper political standpoint because they're against everything you'll throw at them. Feels more logical to argue with a nazi who at least knows what he believes than such a person.

[Comrade Jacob]

It's always a lot easier to be a nihilist than show passion for the oppressed when they are so reactionary.

[Kokayne]

It's always a lot easier to be a nihilist than show passion for the oppressed when they are so reactionary.

Well summed up.

[The Feral Underclass]

Ugh, RevLeft.

Do any of you actually know what you're talking about? It seems to me that you don't. Your objections are just based on silly caricatures, misconceptions and invented Hollywoodesque prejudices.

The political nihilists had plenty of passion when they were assassinating Russian Imperial autocrats and struggling against the Russian aristocracy for the liberation of the "oppressed." It's not like political nihilism has a genuine, legitimate history and tradition or anything.

[BIXX]

Furthermore nihilism is such a diverse set. You have baedan, hostis, Bob black, Alejandro de Acosta, Aragon Bang, and to some extent I'd consider tiqqun etc who all intersect and collide with each other. It isn't a single coherent single set of ideas or even a frame which the world is viewed through. To make declarations about nihilism as a whole is kinda useless though, because as far as ideologies go it's not homogenous at all.

[Luís Henrique]

Perhaps the title is a misnomer, though it's frankly the most congruous way of categorizing this form of Nihilism. A nihilism encapsulating -in this case- a political ideological dimension. I.E., those persons who espouse the meaninglessness of political ideology. This is a comment I came across on youtube:

" Dear Mike, 'My' system? I don't think I've advocated one, have I? I prefer 'practical politics' - the contingency school, as it was known. Life is by far too complex a thing, and human nature far too unreliable to be vouchsafed simple dogma, whether left or right. Besides, I'm not too sure maximising freedom is such a worthy lodestone - I certainly wouldn't want to 'maximise' Luis Garavito's 'freedom’. "


I am agog to know what you make of it - what are your thoughts? By the way I am new here and this is my first post.

The bolded text doesn't sound as nihilism, either political or otherwise, at all. A true nihilist would despise political dogma, whether left or right, of course, but s/he would quite certainly despise "practical politics" even more.

Luís Henrique

[The Feral Underclass]

What constitutes practical politics?

[Ele'ill]

practical politics sounds fatalistic, even the word politics makes it appear as if a concrete path has been discovered (through conventional means). Unless it's regarding the practicality of direct action/insurgency although I'd question even that.

[Asero]

Furthermore nihilism is such a diverse set. You have baedan, hostis, Bob black, Alejandro de Acosta, Aragon Bang, and to some extent I'd consider tiqqun etc who all intersect and collide with each other. It isn't a single coherent single set of ideas or even a frame which the world is viewed through. To make declarations about nihilism as a whole is kinda useless though, because as far as ideologies go it's not homogenous at all.

Every single Nihilist I have met has given me a different definition on what Nihilism is.

[Natall]

I certainly could be erroneous, but I construed the post as to mean: that society ought not to have an 'endgame'. As perhaps to say or rather by extension an ideological blueprint. That instructs the necessitating stages to facilitate achieving such 'endgame' or the enjoined ideological stage. Instead opting for 'practical politics' - the contingency school as the post contains.

Remedying societal ills with no concrete direction, a society manufactured and operated on by its political foundation firstly. The organisation of its power structure only, a consequence of political philosophy. This may be poorly worded on my part, but think the United States, an explicit political foundation put forth by long dead intellectuals. A blueprint not for what 'ought' to be, but a systematic order for constructing society on the basis of ideology thereafter.


The bolded text doesn't sound as nihilism, either political or otherwise, at all. A true nihilist would despise political dogma, whether left or right, of course, but s/he would quite certainly despise "practical politics" even more.

Luís Henrique

If I am fundamentally misunderstanding, please do enlighten me. I concede, that referring it as Nihilism was incongruous, a semantical error on my part.

[Tim Cornelis]

its*

[Qayin]

Every nihilist ive met back where I am from has been an edge-lord keyboard warrior "punk" who dabbled in anarchist politics and were to lazy to join the movements because they were not "anarchist" enough.

fuck em.

[BIXX]

Every nihilist ive met back where I am from has been an edge-lord keyboard warrior "punk" who dabbled in anarchist politics and were to lazy to join the movements because they were not "anarchist" enough.

fuck em.

Perhaps they actually had a critique and you were too lazy to listen?

[The Feral Underclass]

Every nihilist ive met back where I am from has been an edge-lord keyboard warrior "punk" who dabbled in anarchist politics and were to lazy to join the movements because they were not "anarchist" enough.

fuck em.

It could also be possible that these people were not nihilists. Just saying you're a nihilist doesn't make it true.

[Kokayne]

The political nihilists had plenty of passion when they were assassinating Russian Imperial autocrats and struggling against the Russian aristocracy for the liberation of the "oppressed." It's not like political nihilism has a genuine, legitimate history and tradition or anything.

Yes, because political nihilists in YouTube comments and workers involved in syndicates and movements are one and the same thing... right?
No, every one of these people I've met, like someone above said, were too edgy and too careless to give a shit.

[The Feral Underclass]

Yes, because political nihilists in YouTube comments and workers involved in syndicates and movements are one and the same thing... right?

I have no idea what that is referring to...


No, every one of these people I've met, like someone above said, were too edgy and too careless to give a shit.

My only advice to you would be to stop hanging around with hipster douchebags.

[Kokayne]

I have no idea what that is referring to...

Referring to the fact that these people did not ignite a revolution?


My only advice to you would be to stop hanging around with hipster douchebags.


I'm not really hanging around them. It's hard not to see them everywhere on the internet.

[Luís Henrique]

I certainly could be erroneous, but I construed the post as to mean: that society ought not to have an 'endgame'. As perhaps to say or rather by extension an ideological blueprint. That instructs the necessitating stages to facilitate achieving such 'endgame' or the enjoined ideological stage. Instead opting for 'practical politics' - the contingency school as the post contains.

Remedying societal ills with no concrete direction, a society manufactured and operated on by its political foundation firstly. The organisation of its power structure only, a consequence of political philosophy. This may be poorly worded on my part, but think the United States, an explicit political foundation put forth by long dead intellectuals. A blueprint not for what 'ought' to be, but a systematic order for constructing society on the basis of ideology thereafter.



If I am fundamentally misunderstanding, please do enlighten me. I concede, that referring it as Nihilism was incongruous, a semantical error on my part.

Nihilism (http://www.iep.utm.edu/nihilism/)

The position you described in the OP looks more like some kind of pragmatism.

Luís Henrique

[The Feral Underclass]

Referring to the fact that these people did not ignite a revolution?

I don't really understand the point you're making. The argument was that they had no "passion" for the liberation of the "oppressed," which is demonstrably untrue. Their ignition of revolution is entirely beside the point. If igniting revolution was a marker for the virtue of passion for liberation, then the entire contemporary communist movement is essentially reactionary (although that's probably true).


I'm not really hanging around them. It's hard not to see them everywhere on the internet.

So what you're saying is that you get your understanding of Nihilism from hipster douchebags on the internet that you've never met?

Political Nihilism has a tradition. It has a specific critique and solution, and it also has people who proposed it and took it upon themselves to attempt to advance it. It is interrelated to other ideas and forms part of the history of revolutionary politics.

The assertion that Nihilism means against everything, is about as truthful as the idea that anarchism means chaos. Political nihilism has a critique -- and important critique and it comes from a position of rejecting exploitation and oppression. It's not something you can dismiss out of hand because you read some idiot on the internet try and turn apathy into a coherent position.

[The Feral Underclass]

Nihilism (http://www.iep.utm.edu/nihilism/)

This is a definition of philosophical nihilism not political nihilism.

[Natall]

The position you described in the OP looks more like some kind of pragmatism.

Luís Henrique

It would appear that I was wrong to attribute Nihilism to the bolded 'OP', an erroneous conflation.

And indeed it does.

[Luís Henrique]

This is a definition of philosophical nihilism not political nihilism.

Perhaps. Is there something as "political nihilism", though? Or is this just a demeaning term against anarchists of the "propaganda by the deed" variety?

Does anyone seriously identify as a "political nihilist", or does it take a Dostoevsky to create the label?

In any case, the OP doesn't match either definition of "nihilism".

Luís Henrique

[Natall]

I certainly could be erroneous, but I construed the post as to mean: that society ought not to have an 'endgame'. As perhaps to say or rather by extension an ideological blueprint. That instructs the necessitating stages to facilitate achieving such 'endgame' or the enjoined ideological stage. Instead opting for 'practical politics' - the contingency school as the post contains.

Remedying societal ills with no concrete direction, a society manufactured and operated on by its political foundation firstly. The organisation of its power structure only, a consequence of political philosophy. This may be poorly worded on my part, but think the United States, an explicit political foundation put forth by long dead intellectuals. A blueprint not for what 'ought' to be, but a systematic order for constructing society on the basis of ideology thereafter.




The position you described in the OP looks more like some kind of pragmatism.

Luís Henrique


Perhaps. Is there something as "political nihilism", though? Or is this just a demeaning term against anarchists of the "propaganda by the deed" variety?

Does anyone seriously identify as a "political nihilist", or does it take a Dostoevsky to create the label?

In any case, the OP doesn't match either definition of "nihilism".

Luís Henrique

This thread is saturated with confusion and I attribute this to me. I am entirely to blame for being ignorant of the particular jargon of "Anarchists" as its own 'linguistic-community'. The initial quote within the post profiles not "Nihilism", but 'Political Pragmatism'. [As corrected by Luis Henrique] In my 'OP' I desire to know what where any thoughts you may have regarding such people who would refer themselves as "pragmatists". Using the primary 'source' definition given by the bolded test in my 'OP' as a definition for 'political pragmatism'.



This is a comment I came across on youtube:

" Dear Mike, 'My' system? I don't think I've advocated one, have I? I prefer 'practical politics' - the contingency school, as it was known. Life is by far too complex a thing, and human nature far too unreliable to be vouchsafed simple dogma, whether left or right. Besides, I'm not too sure maximising freedom is such a worthy lodestone - I certainly wouldn't want to 'maximise' Luis Garavito's 'freedom’. "