Nihilism and Postmodernism

[Aslan]

From what I've read about Nihilism it seems to be familiar. It sounds a lot like a Postmodernist point of view. But I could be incorrect.

Anyone care to enlighten me?

[BIXX]

Nihilism goes beyond the post-modernist view of creating infinite subjects. For example, in queer theory: "pre-modernist" views take man as the only subject, modernism takes man and woman, and po ost-modernists take queer theory and say that we should create infinite subjects, for example, "let a thousand genders bloom". This is equivilant to the creation of a thousand prisons for each gender and a thousand workplace rights for each gender- whereas the nihilist position (as I have become familiar with it) is to destroy prisons, the workplace, etc... Furthermore nihilism takes gender and claims that it is inherently a form.of domination, for the benefit of (re-)productive processes.

Nihilism takes at its core total negation, post-modernism takes as its view total creation.

[ComradeAllende]

I thought postmodernism emphasized the "destruction" of genders, races, etc through its use of "deconstruction." At least, that's what I learned from a professor of mine who dabbles in "postmodernist" political theory.

[BIXX]

I'm about to go for a run but in short I think what your professor is alluding to is a recomposition of things such as gender and race, more of a denial of their relevance and reconstituting them through a lense of that nature.

[Sibotic]

Post-modernism is generally speaking nihilism, but pretending not to be. It generally speaking emphasises things such as relativism, etc., which are essentially the lack of any ethic but attempt to draw others into this. You could call it nihilism's PR department, albeit obviously that seems to contradict any pathos that people may associate with nihilism.

Obviously if something is nihilism but not being honest about it, then they were probably trying to push something quite other than merely 'nihilism,' which would hardly by itself merit the smoke and mirrors.

[BIXX]

But it isn't nihilism, its a different logic entirely. It's actually the exact opposite, total creation instead of total negation.

[Sibotic]

Post-modernism might be the opposite of nihilism in queer theory.

[BIXX]

Not just queer theory, in afro-pessimism (as I've understood from what I've read), relation to civ, capital, etc... They are entirely different logics.