Nihilism is poison

[percept¡on]

My descent into nihilism began sometime last year, or maybe earlier...

It is counterproductive, though it provides psychological comfort at times. Bottom line is that negation of values leads to negation of all values, and negation of all values leads to negation of society founded on these values, essentially negation of everything around us; negation of our conditions of existence implies the desire for total destruction of everything around us. Since it is impossible to destroy the rest of the world our desire for destruction necessarily turns inward, into a desire for self-destruction.

[percept¡on]

and Nietzschean Nihilism is probably the worst. I tink this is what got a hold of me. Constant struggle for self-improvement and asceticism while negating everything external. Had me feverishly working to better myself all week and drinking myself sick all weekend. A flucking physiological rollercoaster

[Pedro Alonso Lopez]

Well I disagree, nihilism is essentially faith in nothing and thus is neccessary for a criticism of all that is accepted without questioning. It is the healthy response to the postmodern turn.

Anyway I find it optimistic in that it allows you to clear the rubble away and look at the way in a way that didnt seem possible before due to the burdens of morality and so on.

To says it poisen is to accpet unfreedom in my opinion.

What do you propose in its place?

[Pedro Alonso Lopez]

Originally posted by percept¡[email protected] 28 2004, 02:24 PM
and Nietzschean Nihilism is probably the worst. I tink this is what got a hold of me. Constant struggle for self-improvement and asceticism while negating everything external. Had me feverishly working to better myself all week and drinking myself sick all weekend. A flucking physiological rollercoaster
Lol, Nietzsche made you do this? What the hell were you reading?

Nietzsche simply talked about the advent of nihlism by the way, he had lots of beliefs so to call him a nihilist as you people seem to describe him is wrong.

[Pedro Alonso Lopez]

Also why were you negating everything that was external? Try reading Berekely instead if that whats you believe, I cant imagine how you got that from Nietzsche.

[percept¡on]

Originally posted by [email protected] 28 2004, 02:27 PM
Lol, Nietzsche made you do this? What the hell were you reading?

Nietzsche simply talked about the advent of nihlism by the way, he had lots of beliefs so to call him a nihilist as you people seem to describe him is wrong.
I understand what you're saying by this, Nietzsche did have a very complex set of ideas but 'Nietzschean Nihilism' is one of them; Camus really made me see that this is where these ideas were coming from, read The Rebel, Book II, chapter 4.

Nietzsche didn't make me do anything, I just took some of his ideas and ran with them.

[percept¡on]

Well I disagree, nihilism is essentially faith in nothing and thus is neccessary for a criticism of all that is accepted without questioning. It is the healthy response to the postmodern turn.


nah, existentialism is a "healthy response", I'd even say Aristotelian ethics is a "healthy response", nihilism is a frustrated reaction.



Anyway I find it optimistic in that it allows you to clear the rubble away and look at the way in a way that didnt seem possible before due to the burdens of morality and so on.

To says it poisen is to accpet unfreedom in my opinion.


If it is simply some kind of intellectual exercise, maybe. Hell, it gives you an incredible sense of clarity. But as a way of life you end up on some Tyler Durdin shit.

I guess the difference between us is that you are a philosophy student and are thus trained to play with ideas in your head all day without translating them into actions or lifestyles. I'm more practical (for lack of a better word) and I translate ideas into action. Not to say that I'm impressionable but I live my ideals and philosophies.

You have a very rosy view of nihilism, I think you should explore it a little more. Did you have a professor who influenced you in this?

[Pedro Alonso Lopez]

Not at all, its influenced by a lot of reading. Mainly in postmodernism. Nihilism is optimistic in my view, I intend on writing an article about it soon.

[Pedro Alonso Lopez]

Originally posted by percept¡[email protected] 28 2004, 02:54 PM
I understand what you're saying by this, Nietzsche did have a very complex set of ideas but 'Nietzschean Nihilism' is one of them; Camus really made me see that this is where these ideas were coming from, read The Rebel, Book II, chapter 4.

Nietzsche didn't make me do anything, I just took some of his ideas and ran with them.

Well if you ran with his ideas, he did make you do something.

He influenced your mode of thought without which you cannot do anything anyway.

Nietzzschen nihilism was counteracted by himself, he overcame it. Maybe you ought to read a little more of his later work.

[percept¡on]

let me know if you do, I'd like to read it. Because I've heard a lot of terms associated with nihilism, and optimism isn't one of them. Well, maybe in a fatalist sort of optimism. The optimism of hitting bottom.

[Pedro Alonso Lopez]

nah, existentialism is a "healthy response", I'd even say Aristotelian ethics is a "healthy response", nihilism is a frustrated reaction.

Nietzsche has some pretty proto-existensialist ideas by the way, its not uncommon for any existensialism anthology to begin with his work.

Whats frustrating about nihilism, its only frsutrating if you allow it to be. Kant is frustrating...

[percept¡on]

Originally posted by [email protected] 28 2004, 03:14 PM

Well if you ran with his ideas, he did make you do something.

He influenced your mode of thought without which you cannot do anything anyway.

I don't want to get into a philosophical argument about the nature of choice, but deciding to apply someone's ideas to your life and being 'made' to do something are quite distinct from one another.


Nietzzschen nihilism was counteracted by himself, he overcame it. Maybe you ought to read a little more of his later work.

That's not how I work. I overcome it myself and then read his counteraction afterwards. The same way I was a nihilist before I read about what nihilism was. Letting someone do the thinking for you takes the fun out of it.

[percept¡on]

Originally posted by [email protected] 28 2004, 03:15 PM

Nietzsche has some pretty proto-existensialist ideas by the way, its not uncommon for any existensialism anthology to begin with his work.
I associate Nietzsche more with existentialism than nihilism, I believe someone called him the 'father of existentialism'.

This isn't a thread about Nietzsche, I know that's a touchy subject for you guys. :D

[Pedro Alonso Lopez]

Yeah sorry, I'm taking it off topic, its cool, lets get back onto the topic.