On Nihilism

Stumbling upon the past years of our lives, in regards to all sorts of monstrosities,—from isolating away from reality, to the breaking down of humanity itself—there has indeed been much time to deliberate if the meaning of existence will ever come back to what it was. When will the fulfillment resume, when will the fun continue? These thoughts floating around on as quarantine set in and as life sped by, in a sense, entailed a sense of connection, of value in and of itself during the return back to “normality”.

But what if we were to take a step back, and glance at the grand scheme of things. Emotions, having fun, eating great food; does that really give our lives intrinsic value? We spend all our time studying, expanding our realms; but does knowledge mean anything objectively? All down to societal norms and notions, the expectation and general consensus that to be successful, to live our best lives is truly the meaning, how can we possibly assume that these notions are legitimate. In fact, despite the assurance and grasp shared by most that their every action is meaningful—that their existence is ultimately meaningful—,no one can prove for certain they are correct. In fact, the only thing to be proved at this point in time, is that life apparently has no intrinsic meaning. At all. 

This thinking is what is perceived as the nihilistic perspective; one of skepticism on the meaning society has assigned our existences, and, literally put, the belief in nothing. The acknowledgement that all values, beliefs, and ethics are ultimately baseless, and that moral, religious, and rational beliefs are beyond realistic proportions defines Nilhlists as the type to “annihilate your (and their) dreams”.  

Along with the belief in baselessness of society, Nihilism also entails the rejection of objective truth, knowledge and of productivity. The sense of futility and pointlessness constantly held by such Nihilists, however, differentiate from the typical Pessimist or Cynic; the latter two go out of their ways to express their hatreds and downward lookings, while the Nihilists simply believes in that state of nothing. Not that nothing matters, but that there is no ‘nothing’ to matter. 

So, where does this philosophy derive? First heard in the early nineteenth century as a criticism for Transcendental Idealism from Friedrich Jacobi, Nihilism soon reached global stages, becoming associated with the revolutionary movement of 1860’s Russia, where rejections of the state, church and societal systems in search of the “eternal spirit that annihilates'' denounced societal authorities as nothingless. As the philosophy progresses, from Ivan Turgenev's novel “Fathers and Sons” popularized the term through fictional characterization, to Max Stirner’s attacks and rejections of abstract philosophy in exchange “Individual Freedom not upheld by the State”, we come to Friedrich Nietzshe, famously the Nihilist of the 20th century.

“God is dead. God remains dead and we have killed him.” Friedrich Nietzshe, born in Prussia, 1844, was indeed a very controversial, yet illuminating factor in the darkness of the emerging Nihilism. This quote, to clarify, is not meant to shame on religion, but rather to reference the churn and chaos that was 19th Europe. As it goes, the trend in Europe was Christianity; everyone’s sense of purpose, their life values and meaning, relied on and were given to them by God. However, during the age of enlightenment, rejections of religion due to technological development meant that this intrinsic purpose was now inapplicable. As we know, “Knowledge is Power'', and not having God to govern the population on morality and purpose, tore the power from many people’s chest. Nietsche believes Nihilism derives from the clinging of people onto the idea of religion as reality, when it was always bound to fall; “God is Dead” therefore symbolizes the fading religion and the “coming to be of Nihilism” in Nietzsche's eyes. 

Not that he could see or think much clearly anyway. Throughout his lifetime, although now remembered as the youngest to hold a chair in university, as a credited author and for developing what seems to be the “cure” for Nihilism, poor health and insanity flooded his life. Having studied Christian theology to start, the turn of events for Nietzche (most notability due to many obsessions with Ortlepp, Schopenhauer, and Wagner, among others) lead to years of independence spent suppressed by addiction, publishing a work a year in a dark cave in the countryside. Nevertheless, it is his experiences that make his philosophy so resonant; the depression and hardships ultimately contributed to Nietzsche's works and to his actually hopeful vision of the world. 

Now, the perspective and solution to Nihilism presented by Nietzches is quite objective, yet personal in ways that might be relatable especially to the modern Man. First, let's engage with the idea of the Ubermensch, or the overman. This idea, seen in his work Thus Spoke Zarathustra, embodies a psychological superior being of the future which individuals of today should strive to become. Essentially, he acts as a signaling to society that new values should be established, which Nietzche believes is the next step in the annihilation, and only after that, the rebuilding of societies' downfalls. 

“Man is something that shall be overcome. Man is a rope, tied between beast and overman, a rope over an abyss. What is great in man is that he is a bridge and not an end”. This insightful quote essentially depicts Man, being more of a temporary rather than an identity, as the journey in between a beast (Nihilism) and the supreme (Ubermensch/ideal). To overcome Man essentially is to overcome “being hung up on past beliefs”. We must walk the tightrope of our present in order to improve individually; we cannot find new meaning in the same location. This applies also to society; together, simply living with the outdated or unclear stances will not allow us to move onwards to reconsider and reinvent values. Instead, by throwing our hands up, and taking the step in overcoming the abyss, what waits on the other side is nothing short of the start to a good end. 

This philosophy is demonstrated also in Thus Spoke Zarathustra as an interaction between Zarathustra and a Shepherd. One day, he stumbles upon a young shepherd with a long, black snake logged in his throat. With shrill cries of panic from the Shepherd, Zarathustra attempts to pull the snake out, without luck. As the creature slithers down the shepherd's throat, Zarathustra, knowing the unorderly, yet critical operation proposed, shouts at the Shepherd to bite the snake's head off. And as the young shepherd bites and spits away the serpent's head, he rises in glory and glows, “No longer shepherd, no longer man- a transfigured being, a light-surrounded being, that laughed! Never on earth laughed a man as he laughed!” This scene imposes the differences between who could be of man, and the actions needed to get there. The Last man is depicted as the struggling young, vulnerable shepherd, confined to his doom of the serpent, which represents Nihilism. Biting off the head of Nihilism implies the action needed: the determination to act and alter our values before it is too late. Only then, after the serpent is torn asunder, does the Overman emerge, with laughter and joy never seen before, yet desperately searched for. 

Finally, we contest with Nietzsche's second solution to Nihilism; to become and embrace oneself. Much easier said than done, Nietzsche really stressed this principle. He believes that the self does not lie passively waiting for us to discover it, but that we need to constantly learn, fail, and relive our existences in order to unlearn and shed ourselves of outdated, nihilistic lifestyles. Nietzche thought to “Die” as soon as one can, so that one can come to life again like a morning flash or spring after a brutal winter. To not just believe life is valueless or meaningless based on the extreme lows, the confusion and the death of the creator, but instead to truly recognize that from these blank periods emerges the true self and meaning. Nietzche would like us all to “die” in order to get out of our own ways, so new and improved selves can take our places. Because the world around us, meaningless or not, is predetermined. It is our identities, our own values, that are not dependent on this “meaningless”, but rather in our own hands. To spend years fruitlessly searching and indulging in Nihilism, to Nietzche, is utterly unbelievable; it is to take advantage of your deaths and your self-discoveries, that will let your pursuit of meaning find its way.