Even when I was an atheist materialist I didn't really buy into the notion that death was permanent. I saw impermanence as the governing law (and still do to some extent), and that included death. The idea that death is a permanent condition is a Western philosophical assumption rooted in Christianity. "It is appointed for us once to die and after that the judgement".
@Innovater6 What grounds do you have that it is permanent, any more than saying that a molecule of water will never descend down a water fall ever again. Its unlikely it'll happen right away but very likely that it'll happen again sometime in the distant future.
Practically,it's better that everyone accept everyone ells,yet "everyone" are just too many,too bored and too stupid.
Everything becomes a flaw the moment it gets TOO big...true solution is to know how to reach a middle ground in every aspect,and from there-Not grow,and not become smaller-just remain in the same area has much has possible.Humans tend to love to get bigger has much has possible-well-don't cry when the balloon exploded and all ends
Hereism-we are here now so lets focus on the here and now. Lets amplify pleasure and comfort for all of mankind in order to avoid pain and suffering as much as possible.
Question to all you nihilists:If there is no truth,than why does man have the conscious ability to seek truth?And what purpose does (selfless) love have in this cosmic game?Maybe love comes from our unconsciousness since it remembers we all came from the same point.I believe nihilism is simply negative spirituality, because you crave it over positive spirituality.You crave non-purpose over purpose,so that is what you see behind all the symbolism. If you craved purpose,you would see that instead.
I haven't seen a reason to give an absolute value to anything yet. When someone says that something is important or good, it's always just based on a point of view with its own values (there's often happyness/life as an irrefutably good thing). There is no absolute good reason to give more importance to any point of view, so I don't believe in importance, good or bad, or "essential or inherent values". Am I nihilist?
@Gastguma it's quite easy to awnser that: nihilists denies all truths, except the truth that nihilism is true. When a nihilist says "There is no truth", he actually means "There is no truth, except for this one."
@Anakay I don't agree, I think there is truth. A hydrogen atom is made of a proton and elektron, the laws of physics, 2 + 2 = 4. Those are truths, just like nihilism.
In the movie My Dinner with Andre, Andre tells a story of a man who trains himself to stay in the moment and avoid fantasy/daydreaming of any kind. it was cuz of this he met the elusive figure pan the satyr. In other words by accepting reality w/no illusions he was able 2 see things we ironically dream of seeing.
Why subscribe to any philosophical modality at all? Including nihilism. Why carry a self imposed label like nihilist or atheist? For a mind to remain free it should always remain open.
Being an atheist and or a nihilist does not mean you arnt open to any possibility its just merely pointing out your belief system, what you believe at that moment and time, yes labels are unnecessary but how do you explain what you believe with out sitting there for hours trying to say you arnt this and you arnt that. So im basically saying those labels are just a short cut for people who ask what we think is true and what our opinion is.
@scienceatheism I can't speak for anyone else of course, but through my experience I've learned that everything, including moral and philosophical frameworks are temporary and subject to change within the individual as the individual grows, learns and experiences. I've found that no single system of thought has fit me as a person. Rather, pieces and parts of many which are at my disposal when needed. But to each their own of course.
At any rate, I believe in Nihilism however I do not follow it. I believe that in the end there will be nothing, however in life I follow a much different train of thought. If I were to be Nihilist in life I would, logically, choose to end my life now and not suffer a life of losses (the less sorrowful path).
Instead I believe in enjoying my emotions to the fullest, and acting out my morals.
well i dont know about that suffering to me is a great thing, and here is why without suffering i wouldnt know happiness, without sorrow i wouldnt know joy and with out hatred i wouldnt feel the full impact of love. Loss is apart of that suffering, i would rather loss something then never to have it all. So you say you would end your life, i say i would embrace it with open arms, its better to feel then to feel nothing at all.
Yeah, I totally agree with what this video. I really find it hard to find anything positive in my own nihilism. It all started when I took LSD as a teenager and just one bad trip opened me up to the realisation that life was simply a pattern of events formed out of chaos with no intrinsic meaning. That the only difference between myself and a spider was the greater complexity to which I had evolved. I still lapse into episodes of severe depression and wish I had the innocence of a child again.
The only way to experience what truly exists, is to not exist at all. If you try to understand the framework of our reality from within that reality itself, you will always end up with a solution based not on truth, but on subjective truth. Everything that can be contemplated, can be contemplated from a specific point of view. As long as we are a part of all that exists, all answers to all questions are simultaneously true, false, and irrelevant. If there IS a certainty, we can't know it.
@Damienf77 What if something from outside this reality was able to affect the things within it, and subsequently contacted humanity with the certain truth? <-- theism logic still wins.
Good try though, it makes sense to me but it won't affect my belief system (Follow your Emotions and Morals, get your enjoyment and run with it).
@chavochavo22 'narrow minded atheists like you who claim to see "the truth"'
People claim to see the truth based on the information that is given to them, and from that information they choose the most accurate answer. However some people choose to become ignorant in order to support their belief system. They are caught in a lie that they have to accept in order to support their ego. Their are fanatics in all beliefs, they just received different information. True philosophers are undecided.
@manarazer One's mind isn't narrowed or widened by their beliefs.
It's the matter of perception that seperates the Atheist from the Nihilist, and the Nihilist from the Theist.
We see our world in different ways, some are humbled by the powerful feeling of insignificance, and some are empowered by the feeling of being part of something greater than yourself.
We all make choices on what we believe in, but in the long run the only thing that matters is how you spend your life on Earth. Live!
Not sure if I agree with this 100%, but it is certainly very thought-provoking and helped to give perspective on this idea. Thanks very much for making and posting this! It helped a lot.
Why does there have to be this spiritual vs material dualism? Did anybody ever care to discard socrates and his heirs and just stick with the presoratic philosophers?
A philosophy that is both personal and universal, dualistic and non-dualistic , spiritual yet material, utopian and dystopian is possible.
God wills us to help one another - to love one another. To do to others what we would do to ourselves. I think that it is absolutely amazing that people who do not believe in anything practice the law of God better than those who profess to believe and follow it! It is better to not believe and do good and to believe and do nothing!
Nihilists can still enjoy life. While nothing may have purpose or value, Nihilists are still human and have emotions. Emotions can be used in a decision logically. While no outcome really matters, and shouldn't be preferable to another, to a single person they can have a preference based on what will make them happy. That's is the only real "purpose" in life, to enjoy it and be happy.
People become nihilists because they believe nihilism is true, and they value truth. But nihilism claims that nothing has essential or inherent value, and this includes truth. In order to accept nihilism, one has to value truth; but once one accepts nihilism, it undermines the value of truth, undermining the very reason for accepting nihilism in the first place.
@Gastguma yes that is the problem with nihilism. I am an existentialist myself and it is really hard to argue that there are no values in life. The reason we act is based on our values. If we aid the poor, we value their well being.
@Gastguma There is no belief in nihilism a person either understands it or does not. Adding somewhat to your argument an absolute nihilist human or maybe any intelligent agent is not possible.Values may be arbitrary and in reality nonexistent but from our perspective a near nihilist likely values truth or absolution as I am this way.In reality I am a mass of protons, neutrons, electrons..photons etc...My values don't exist at all the same way as either ideal or approximate circles do not.
@Gastguma I don't think nihilism is a belief system but more an objective observation of the universe that everything is valueless not necessarily a nihilist does not value which is certainly not the case for anyone claiming to be a nihilist.IE if they decide to live they value life.if they decide to flee life because of suffering they value death while they are alive.After death well since the person is gone how could he she value anything as they do not exist.Self, person is really an illusion
@Gastguma "People become nihilists because they believe nihilism is true, and they value truth." Acceptance of a belief has little to do with evaluation. Naturally existing cognitive functions facilitates logic. Logic dictates a reasoned choice between choices. It's not that a choice denotes preference or a realization of value. Addmitance of a fact does not mean that you value the belief of that fact. You may value a lie more than truth, but you cannot naturally believe while conscious of the-
@Gastguma (cont) while conscious of the fact that it is a lie. As Camus said, "Man is always prey to his truths."
So your proposition: 'Nihilists paradoxically value truth, thus making them not true nihilists,' is false. Because the allocation value does not enter into the equation when it is only natural to believe what perception dictates as fact.
@Gastguma hypocrisy and contradiction also have no value. the label 'nihilist' is for your benefit, what a nihilist acknowledges is intellectual honesty, facts. you used the word "truth" in 2 different contexts to satisfy your argument, nihilists take nothing on faith. i aint trying to convince you either, just giving you food for thought.
@Innovater6 truth is a term that coresponds to "how things are in the Universe".We are all made from truth.So if you say that, you say you don't exist.
Its a contradiction isnt it? sort of like those who hate conforming and hate those who conform, so if we conform to your non conformity then we are still conforming. Its a circle of idiocy. Im a nihilist but i see the issue with nihilism because there is no absolute truth but in order to reach nihilism you must be truthful to yourself, is it absolute? Its confusing.
@Gastguma Wrong, true Nihilists do not live long enough to define their belief. They realize that nothing has value and decide that since they do not wish to go through the suffering of losing everything they work hard to achieve they commit suicide.
At least that is how i see it, please correct me if I'm wrong.
@manarazer No offense to you. But i believe that this is a falacy.
In fact, i see it as the contrary.
We see ourselves as the ones who have finally been freed from the stranglehold of religion.
This is turn gives life a whole new meaning, and has given me a new reason to live.
God Failed me, and given enough time he will fail everyone. I live to see the day that the world is freed of the Matrix-like program we call religion. Meant to shield your eyes and control you. Question all of this.
@Gastguma We get the lack of reason of faith. We have seen and noticed this very concept as it is, and while we are by no means "nothing", we are not by any means special.
When the world is shown the wonders of the future to a modern age and god falls off of his pedestal in our lives. The mental shackles of religion shall be lifted from those it has imprisoned and we Nihilists and Atheists will be there to welcome them back to reason and reality with open arms and love until the end of time.
@Gastguma No, nihilism does not deal with "accepting truth", you are completely off base, one of the largest forms of nihilism, "existential nihilism" basically argues that "life has no meaning." That's not a "truth" as a "truth" would have to be something that is fact, a fact must be able to be proven and cannot be unproven. You cannot "prove" a point of view for being "truth" so there for Existential Nihilism, and almost all others are perspectives, not truth's.
@bud389 Life having no meaning and purpose is actually a fact. Because no purpose is expressed to us and random events can't become an intended outcome.
Even if an outcome was intended by a divine being that still wouldn't give purpose to anything as the existence and nature of that being can also not be verified as something that "ought" to be.
@TatsujinSan You cannot factually state that life has no meaning, no one can, for all you know when we die were transported to some extra-dimensional realm where everything we did in our lives had an effect that universally changed that one, no one knows, and the audacity for you to claim you know is appaulling.
@bud389 "You cannot factually state that life has no meaning"
Yes, yes I can. If it hasn't been expressed to us then it can be deviated from. If it can be deviated from then it was never a purpose.
"for all you know when we die we're transported to some extra-dimensional realm where everything we did in our lives had an effect that universally changed that one."
Explain how that hypothetical would give a purpose.
@TatsujinSan Who says that there is purpose to anything? Who's to say that everything we do DOESN'T have purpose? You can't, unless you assume, and if you assume it's not fact, since it's not fact, NO, YOU DONT KNOW and NO, you CANNOT use it as "proof" of your point.
To say "you know" is to be just like those catholics or muslims that say "they know," but do they really? No, they don't, and neither do you.
@bud389 "Who's to say that everything we do DOESN'T have purpose"
If meaning/purpose hasn't been defined then there is no reason to believe it exists. If it can't be known then it is useless to think of it in the way that you're trying to. You'll just have to live under the assumption that it's up to you to decide how you want to spend your time on earth and that no "higher" entity appears to exist or to give a shit about what occurs here.
@bud389 A purpose, so far, has only been known to be an idea. An idea that there is some goal we are supposed to achieve in life. This implies intent.
Are you with me so far? If the INTENT, comes from the individual, then it is an opinion of what your life goal should be. It is not an objective truth that your life should reach that goal.
You keeping up sparky? If the INTENT, comes from outside the individual and can be DEVIATED from (via free will) then it is THAT entities OPINION.
@TatsujinSan It's amazing how much of a fucking retard you are, the fact you cannot follow a single fucking thing im saying astounds me. Instead of going after straw man arguments and responding with pointlessly dull rhetorical comments, why not contribute to the god damn conversation? OH thats right, your a fucking dipshit apparently. Understand yet, SPARKY?
@bud389 Oh I can follow what you're saying and it's absolutely HILARIOUS and ironic that you're insulting MY intelligence when clearly it's your stupidity that's the problem here.
Straw man? I'm explaining to you why it's a fact that there's no ultimate purpose or meaning to life. Yes I was condescending to you in my last comment, because you continued to assume I was being arrogant just because you couldn't grasp how I'm able to draw such conclusions. Displaying your own arrogance.
@bud389 Nihilism isn't saying that about your life, it's saying that about human life in general, the way humans work. And this is the truth. If this wasn't true, there would be one essential meaning and we would all be following it, but this obviously isn't the case. The case is, there are thousands of belief systems and they all can make you "feel alive," or give meaning to YOUR life in one way or another. It's a personal choice you make and decide what you want your life to mean.
@Gastguma It doesn't "undermine" anything. You just choose to look at it that way. I think it's amazing knowing I have full control and responsibility over my life and no divine asshole has any say in it. Don't try to speak for something you have no clue about.
Nihilism will always pass by as an empty idea....because that's what it stands for. It is absolute, *all encompassing* negation, which therefore negates itself as an impacting observation, leaving the 'harmony' that is existence and the non exsistent forever standing in equilbrium. To anyone who says nihilism=suicide, or even some kind of depression, should look at it instead as a still pool of water, a centre, and a peaceful equilibrium.
Every morning I wake up, grab a bowl, fill it with a colorful substance, pour milk into the bowl, and eat the food. That is my Truth. One day I will die, alone, forsaken, regretting that I didn't try any other cereal, and the process will end. Life in a salty pepper-jack nut shell.
@coolasacoldsummer Yes and no. My point is that there is no rational response. Therefore, the only way to avoid all non-rational actions is to do nothing, which in biological life forms inevitably leads quickly to death. So if you're not dead or dying through inactivity, you are doing something that's not rationally justifiable. (Obviously, I don't disapprove of doing things that aren't rational, since I've survived the months since I made the original comment!)
the fundamental question isn't what is the purpose and/or meaning of life? that question is a joke. people shouldn't even be asking that anymore. obviously, there is no meaning or purpose in an objective sense. the real question is, given that there is no objective meaning and purpose what do we do? become absurdists? commit physical or philosophical suicide? or pursue some other alternative?
blah blah blah wash with shampoo and clean yourself with my religion, ok I'll join for only $9.99 a month yada yada yoda rinse with the human condition
@j3ff820 Mind you, evolution is not something you "beleive" in, its something you understand. When people say "beleive" in evolution it appears as if they are reffering to the process as a beleif system, (and no doubt alot of shitless sky daddy lovers think it so) but it is not. Beleiving and understanding are 2 very different things. When someone asks you to beleive something, theyre asking you to take their word for it, but to understand something requires a bit of exploration.
@Blodslav "Mind you, evolution is not something you "beleive" in, its something you understand. " No, you can believe evolution occurred and is responsible for the diversity of life, even without understanding it. Just because ancient people didn't understand general relativity or even Newton's law of gravity, doesn't mean they didn't believe things fall toward the ground.
typical nihilism. without meaning, it's hard to overcome the bad times. meaning comes from belief in something higher than yourself. so until a nihilist tells me how to feel good in the universe without objective sense of meaning, they can suck it
Yes, it is hard to overcome a time a great suffering when you have nothing to fall back on ,but when we do rise above it then we become stronger for the next challenge. If you are racing on foot with another person and he beats you, do you stand in a corner and pray to be faster, or do you train so that you yourself may improve your speed. I don't see meaning in this world, but that doesn't mean I am not at peace (whatever that means).
@carthonasi08 i'm not talking about something you can improve, like running speed. that's hardly devastating. i'm talking terminal illness, catostrophic loss of life, the moments before being executed for a crime you didn't commit. heavy stuff. when you have no hope, maybe you can cope without appealing to something beyond yourself, but you would be in the minority i suppose
Besides, who ever said meaning comes from something greater than themselves? You said I have a sad worldview, but you rely on things to be handed to you before you realize you already had it.
@carthonasi08 that is the idea of meaning, that it transcends any one situation you find yourself in or any particular mindset you have at a given time. that it is a safe harbor in the storm. according to you, meaning is basically the sum of your individual experience, but it has no substance outside of you.
I understand this belief very well. I really don't like it, but it is hard to prove wrong. Some of the worse experiences of my life came from contemplating the possibility of nihilism, especially when I used to smoke lots of marijuana and wondering at the nature of reality, I thought of nihilism fully and honestly with myself, and it was the worse fucking thing that has ever happened to me. I prey, prey, that it is not true, I feel dead already if it is true, but I would bet it is not in the end
They are subjective, but at the same time they are useful tools in establishing a healthy dialogue. Nihilism does not preclude values or standards, just ones based off of arbitrary things, which makes them morals.
We're here due to probability, the right sequences at the right time in the right environment allowed the first single celled organisms to evolve and eventually... Here we stand.
We nihilists DO believe there is no inherent value in anything. David Hume "There is a difference between an ought and is"
Suffice it to say, the rudimentary definition of nihilism you provided would take more effort to rectify than I'm willing to give. (I only have 40 characters left)
i do not follow any religion and very much like some of the nihilistic thinking; but you cant claim for sure that there is no higher deity or non material existence. so me as a mere human do not deny nor claim that there is god, gods or soul.
@infinitytru You can't prove it, but logic pretty much destroys religion (sadly, many people ignore logic). As for the idea of a soul, I can't say for sure. I'm not even 100% certain what a soul is, to be honest.
@Innovater6 Well, I was raised Christian, so I'll talk about that. Why was cannabalism choosen to symbolyze allowing Jesus into your life? Why did he have to die to let us in to heaven if God is all powerful? Why allow Satan to rome free? Why is it called free will if we go to hell after disobeying God? How can you expect someone to follow you if they have followed one way of living for they're entire life and you refuse to give any evidence that you even exist? I think the answer is obvious.
Okay last words: Sorry to sound like a smart ass. Just felt like I should talk about it. I left a lot out, but tackling the meaning of life in under 500 character; pretty tough. I can't go away without Mentioning Thomas Nagel, he wrote an essay called the absurd. You won't find the meaning of life, but, it'll definitely cheer you up, and it'll give you something to say next time someone claims that we're meaningless just because we're small in comparison to the size of the universe.
In other words, what objects or concepts deserve top priority, and what is your justification for doing so? I guess I'm referring here to a very narrow sense of "meaning of life". The sense in which one finds motivation and happiness. which is a more psychological problem rather then philosophical. In a few words, the meaning of your life is a concept you have to form yourself. and you may want to do that based on the best information we have, info as close to the truth as possible
I heard once from a friend that life has no meaning. Well, depends on what you mean by life has no meaning. A meaning, simply is a human concept, an applied mental process which describes the universe or an object in it. There's no reason to believe that any material has intrinsic meaning, but rather, such meaning is applied to it by the human mind. In such case, then everything has meaning.Thereby rendering it a trivial matter. so the real problem is that of relevance...
A man goes to see his therapist. His therapist asks him how he's doing. Man says he's depressed. Feels threatened in a violent and hostile society. Therapist asks him if he's taking his meds. Yes, the man answers. The therapist then recommends he go to a comedy show. It's Polliacchi the clown. "I love Polliacchi, always cheers me up when I'm down."
The man's reply sent a chill up the therapist spine. "But doc, I am Polliacchi."
Great video. For all who undrstand and for those biting their lips - I recomend a deep breath and a good book - The Lucifer Priciple by Howard Bloom. Peace. Really.
this video provides false hope in finding truth the same as theism provided false hope in finding truth..if there was a scale of truth and understanding, religion would keep us at 0, while science would progress us up that scale, but if that scale is infinite, science would also take us nowhere, while giving us the illusion that it is..while religion stays still, science navigates, yet it navigates a circular corkscrew infinitely high. the only truth is existence..
Go to anusDOTcom (stands for American Nihilst Underground Society) and search for the article, "Theism and Atheism". Youtube won't let me post the link.
Read the article. It treats atheism as if it means belief in no god at the same degree as theists believe there is. Not so. Atheism is about being intellectually honest. A lack of any evidence may give licence to claim no god within practical knowledge, but this is very different from the belief theists have.
The flaw with atheism is its tendency to reduce the world to material particles made up still smaller particles. It is like trying to slice a loaf of bread into smaller and smaller slices in search of the 'last' slice. You cannot locate reality without resorting to an idea of consciousness, an entity without substance, which must ultimately remain a mystery to itself.
I think your refering to "naturalism". Atheism is the lack of belief on a god, like a-astrology is the lack of belief in astrology. Besides that, I'm with you 100 %. We can all have our suspicions about the truth of reality, but I think most atheists are concerned with whats reasonable to believe. While reason is not able to reach absolute knowledge, it's the best tool we have.
You are right; atheism strictly defined is simply lack of belief in any god. But in practicfe many self-described atheists have been Dialectical Materialists, refusing to lrecognise anything beyond the so-called scientific method. Pilosophers like Alan Watts, however, have influenced atheism in the direction of Hindu-Buddhist thinking, where reality is a manifestation of Consciousness which represents a middle way between fundamentalist literalism and Spock-like logic.
Agreed. I sometimes find myself falling into that category and have to admit that materialism usually comes with the territory. Although refusing to recognize something beyond the scientific method and saying it is absolutely impossible are 2 different things. I've not met an atheist who claims to know with perfect certainty something does not exist, lacking a perfect standard. Every sane person at the core seems to be an egnostic in part.
Atheists can still believe in morals and a point in being good. Nihilists believe there is no point in anything and no stance on anything can be more logical than the other because they both don't matter.
As a proud Nihilist, I find that this video has no meaning. Anyways, whether you worship a god or not, it's all going to end up the same way for all of us. So enough of the damned arguments on morals and religions, and just keep it to yourself. Wait a second... If you keep it to yourself, that means other people won't complain about your personal belief. By god/ gods/ goddess/ logical reasoning, that makes sense! Also, I'm sleep deprived. Take what you will from that.
I detest people that call the religious nonsensical when you perpetuate the very hypocracy you slander. Freedom from religion to be happy is nothing more than removing ever hinderance aspect to your primal urges. This does nothing, but drown the mind in a blissful and ignorant chemical high of dopamine and endorphins. This only a distraction to keep our minds off our mortality. This is useless in the end.
CrunkChipmunk, you blather on about religious fools, as if you have some kind of advantage under them. Nihilism is not freedom, it is the realization that we are not free. If Nihilism is correct, then we are all destined for oblivion and neither you nor these "religious fools" have any advantage over the other.
@hippo11222 depends on your definition of "freedom." and if your are talking about hard determinism that is most definitely an entirely different and separate issue. but i agree. if you go w/ the nihilistic perspective it doesn't really matter who's correct about the matter. we all suffer the same fate. could still call them "fools" though. religion is bullshit.
@hippo11222 no, nihilism is the recognition of the lack of value and meaning in all things. I as a nihilist am free to do anything physically possible without moral reprocussion because I don't value life, and I know that moral code is without valid foundation. I understand that we are animals, and thus are born with the instinctual desire to survive and reproduce, but I also know that once you break that code there's no concequence. I live to sate my own desires no matter how irrational only
@dormirenonpotest And by not free I mean there is no ultimate freedom. Freedom as doing anything you want is not true freedom. By a determinist stance your only obeying your programing. By a nihilistic stance any kind of freedom outside living life the way you want to would be illusory. Friedrich Nietzche surely recognizes this, but I appreciate your intellectual consistency to your world view by following it to its logical conclusion.
@hippo11222 wouldn't ultimate freedom be death (the complete release of conciousness)? As for the nihilistic stance, yes, but I recognize that my desires are fueled entirely by instinct, and I sate my desires all the same because given the uncertain amount of time I have left have in existence I want to do things that please me. I recognize how shallow pleasure and pain are, but one must remember that even though perception may be a lie, we percieve pleasure and pain all the same.
@dormirenonpotest Funny, I was thinking the same thing, but I would have to reconsider. Freedom is not freedom unless it can be exercised. Therefore there would not be any true freedom in the ultimate sense. This was the logical conclusion to the statement that I previously made months ago.
@hippo11222 nihilo/atheist do have an advantage of theist in that our lives are not led by delusions and we are aware they they are not lead by such things, this completely changes ones perspective on the hardships of life even the highpoints, nihilism is true freedom as we realize we are constrained by nothing else but our own subjective constraints or the subjective constraints of others
we are all destined for oblivion whether you believe in any number of the gods or not
@UncertainTruth Having an advantage itself in a nihilistic viewpoint is subjective. Why would would it be better to not to live one's life under an illusion/delusion? You could feel/think that the fact that you know you have no meaning nor purpose and are aware of the delusion yet continue to live life regardless is a bigger disadvantage. The point of nihilism is that there is no objective advantage.
If you want to be taken more seriously trying not using photos of Bart Simpson or Lego figures. Wiki also adds to the lack of seriousness and the amount of effort in research you put into this video.
A purely rational creature would simply curl up on the ground and die of thirst. Those of us who don't do this (even nihilists!) are clearly driven by some irrational desire, some delusion of purpose. "Caring for your fellow man," as the video suggests, is no more rationally justifiable than worshipping wafers and wine. So atheists need to lose their airs of superiority.
great video totally agree i feel sorrow for those who believe in a false hope
bigcnixon 2 months ago
Even when I was an atheist materialist I didn't really buy into the notion that death was permanent. I saw impermanence as the governing law (and still do to some extent), and that included death. The idea that death is a permanent condition is a Western philosophical assumption rooted in Christianity. "It is appointed for us once to die and after that the judgement".
JNathanK2011 2 months ago
@JNathanK2011 well if you don't think it is permanent you're retarded aren't you
Innovater6 2 months ago
Comment removed
JNathanK2011 2 months ago
@Innovater6 What grounds do you have that it is permanent, any more than saying that a molecule of water will never descend down a water fall ever again. Its unlikely it'll happen right away but very likely that it'll happen again sometime in the distant future.
JNathanK2011 2 months ago
The truth is-that the truth does not even matter.
Practically,it's better that everyone accept everyone ells,yet "everyone" are just too many,too bored and too stupid.
Everything becomes a flaw the moment it gets TOO big...true solution is to know how to reach a middle ground in every aspect,and from there-Not grow,and not become smaller-just remain in the same area has much has possible.Humans tend to love to get bigger has much has possible-well-don't cry when the balloon exploded and all ends
Wharwulif 3 months ago
Hereism-we are here now so lets focus on the here and now. Lets amplify pleasure and comfort for all of mankind in order to avoid pain and suffering as much as possible.
grecorivera 3 months ago
"This video is a response to the idea that religion some how sets us free from the human condition".
It does no such thing, i agree.
jediknight28 4 months ago
Question to all you nihilists:If there is no truth,than why does man have the conscious ability to seek truth?And what purpose does (selfless) love have in this cosmic game?Maybe love comes from our unconsciousness since it remembers we all came from the same point.I believe nihilism is simply negative spirituality, because you crave it over positive spirituality.You crave non-purpose over purpose,so that is what you see behind all the symbolism. If you craved purpose,you would see that instead.
nielss4 4 months ago
Excellent video!
ScreamsFromTheAbyss 4 months ago
life is without objective meaning, purpose and intrinsic value? accurate??
Innovater6 7 months ago
@Innovater6 Spot on
Pomaori 7 months ago
Watch Fight Club and it will explain Nihilism in it's fullest.
kyhzer 7 months ago
@kyhzer can you explain it? i cba to go watch it xDD
Innovater6 7 months ago
@Innovater6 watch it
kyhzer 7 months ago
this music is great for the video
Innovater6 8 months ago
deep shit
kaz287 9 months ago
I haven't seen a reason to give an absolute value to anything yet. When someone says that something is important or good, it's always just based on a point of view with its own values (there's often happyness/life as an irrefutably good thing). There is no absolute good reason to give more importance to any point of view, so I don't believe in importance, good or bad, or "essential or inherent values". Am I nihilist?
EtiduProd 9 months ago
@Gastguma it's quite easy to awnser that: nihilists denies all truths, except the truth that nihilism is true. When a nihilist says "There is no truth", he actually means "There is no truth, except for this one."
Anakay 9 months ago 8
@Anakay you don't get it... you're thinking mathematical, you'll never get it if you don't change your way of thinking.
ONA5252 8 months ago
@Anakay I don't agree, I think there is truth. A hydrogen atom is made of a proton and elektron, the laws of physics, 2 + 2 = 4. Those are truths, just like nihilism.
dysvanlist 6 months ago
In the movie My Dinner with Andre, Andre tells a story of a man who trains himself to stay in the moment and avoid fantasy/daydreaming of any kind. it was cuz of this he met the elusive figure pan the satyr. In other words by accepting reality w/no illusions he was able 2 see things we ironically dream of seeing.
Asthegrave 9 months ago
anyone think nihilism is probably a good reflection of reality?
Innovater6 10 months ago
Why subscribe to any philosophical modality at all? Including nihilism. Why carry a self imposed label like nihilist or atheist? For a mind to remain free it should always remain open.
brutus301 10 months ago
Being an atheist and or a nihilist does not mean you arnt open to any possibility its just merely pointing out your belief system, what you believe at that moment and time, yes labels are unnecessary but how do you explain what you believe with out sitting there for hours trying to say you arnt this and you arnt that. So im basically saying those labels are just a short cut for people who ask what we think is true and what our opinion is.
scienceatheism 10 months ago
@scienceatheism I can't speak for anyone else of course, but through my experience I've learned that everything, including moral and philosophical frameworks are temporary and subject to change within the individual as the individual grows, learns and experiences. I've found that no single system of thought has fit me as a person. Rather, pieces and parts of many which are at my disposal when needed. But to each their own of course.
brutus301 10 months ago
What is your point? You are just stating a fact.
At any rate, I believe in Nihilism however I do not follow it. I believe that in the end there will be nothing, however in life I follow a much different train of thought. If I were to be Nihilist in life I would, logically, choose to end my life now and not suffer a life of losses (the less sorrowful path).
Instead I believe in enjoying my emotions to the fullest, and acting out my morals.
Take what you can, give nothing back.
manarazer 10 months ago
well i dont know about that suffering to me is a great thing, and here is why without suffering i wouldnt know happiness, without sorrow i wouldnt know joy and with out hatred i wouldnt feel the full impact of love. Loss is apart of that suffering, i would rather loss something then never to have it all. So you say you would end your life, i say i would embrace it with open arms, its better to feel then to feel nothing at all.
scienceatheism 10 months ago
Yeah, I totally agree with what this video. I really find it hard to find anything positive in my own nihilism. It all started when I took LSD as a teenager and just one bad trip opened me up to the realisation that life was simply a pattern of events formed out of chaos with no intrinsic meaning. That the only difference between myself and a spider was the greater complexity to which I had evolved. I still lapse into episodes of severe depression and wish I had the innocence of a child again.
PrimeM92 10 months ago
The only way to experience what truly exists, is to not exist at all. If you try to understand the framework of our reality from within that reality itself, you will always end up with a solution based not on truth, but on subjective truth. Everything that can be contemplated, can be contemplated from a specific point of view. As long as we are a part of all that exists, all answers to all questions are simultaneously true, false, and irrelevant. If there IS a certainty, we can't know it.
Damienf77 11 months ago
@Damienf77 well said
Innovater6 10 months ago
@Damienf77 What if something from outside this reality was able to affect the things within it, and subsequently contacted humanity with the certain truth? <-- theism logic still wins.
Good try though, it makes sense to me but it won't affect my belief system (Follow your Emotions and Morals, get your enjoyment and run with it).
manarazer 10 months ago
both religion and nihilism are of the same nature
flawed and incomplete
you are no different than the religious in the sense that you also are deluding yourself with a concept that you are so eager to proclaim as superior
I dont know what pisses me off more, the fanatic religious
or narrow minded atheists like you who claim to see "the truth"
the only human tragedy is how two groups that are sides of the same coin have always been at each others throats
chavochavo22 1 year ago
@chavochavo22 'narrow minded atheists like you who claim to see "the truth"'
People claim to see the truth based on the information that is given to them, and from that information they choose the most accurate answer. However some people choose to become ignorant in order to support their belief system. They are caught in a lie that they have to accept in order to support their ego. Their are fanatics in all beliefs, they just received different information. True philosophers are undecided.
manarazer 10 months ago 4
@manarazer One's mind isn't narrowed or widened by their beliefs.
It's the matter of perception that seperates the Atheist from the Nihilist, and the Nihilist from the Theist.
We see our world in different ways, some are humbled by the powerful feeling of insignificance, and some are empowered by the feeling of being part of something greater than yourself.
We all make choices on what we believe in, but in the long run the only thing that matters is how you spend your life on Earth. Live!
TheChad326 9 months ago
Not sure if I agree with this 100%, but it is certainly very thought-provoking and helped to give perspective on this idea. Thanks very much for making and posting this! It helped a lot.
kawithak 1 year ago
Why does there have to be this spiritual vs material dualism? Did anybody ever care to discard socrates and his heirs and just stick with the presoratic philosophers?
A philosophy that is both personal and universal, dualistic and non-dualistic , spiritual yet material, utopian and dystopian is possible.
As Above So Below,
Before and After.
supersymbiotic 1 year ago
God wills us to help one another - to love one another. To do to others what we would do to ourselves. I think that it is absolutely amazing that people who do not believe in anything practice the law of God better than those who profess to believe and follow it! It is better to not believe and do good and to believe and do nothing!
brianempson 1 year ago
Well done.This is great.
teganwaffle 1 year ago
The "TRUTH" as all religious people see doesnt exist.
there are only ignorant people who want to see this non existable "TRUTH"
TUTMENA 1 year ago
Nihilists can still enjoy life. While nothing may have purpose or value, Nihilists are still human and have emotions. Emotions can be used in a decision logically. While no outcome really matters, and shouldn't be preferable to another, to a single person they can have a preference based on what will make them happy. That's is the only real "purpose" in life, to enjoy it and be happy.
AkumosBDF 1 year ago
the most important thing to know about reality,is that its not what it seems.
johnroiberts 1 year ago
People become nihilists because they believe nihilism is true, and they value truth. But nihilism claims that nothing has essential or inherent value, and this includes truth. In order to accept nihilism, one has to value truth; but once one accepts nihilism, it undermines the value of truth, undermining the very reason for accepting nihilism in the first place.
Gastguma 1 year ago 5
@Gastguma yes that is the problem with nihilism. I am an existentialist myself and it is really hard to argue that there are no values in life. The reason we act is based on our values. If we aid the poor, we value their well being.
therookie93 1 year ago
@Gastguma There is no belief in nihilism a person either understands it or does not. Adding somewhat to your argument an absolute nihilist human or maybe any intelligent agent is not possible.Values may be arbitrary and in reality nonexistent but from our perspective a near nihilist likely values truth or absolution as I am this way.In reality I am a mass of protons, neutrons, electrons..photons etc...My values don't exist at all the same way as either ideal or approximate circles do not.
codester1111 1 year ago
@Gastguma I don't think nihilism is a belief system but more an objective observation of the universe that everything is valueless not necessarily a nihilist does not value which is certainly not the case for anyone claiming to be a nihilist.IE if they decide to live they value life.if they decide to flee life because of suffering they value death while they are alive.After death well since the person is gone how could he she value anything as they do not exist.Self, person is really an illusion
codester1111 1 year ago
@Gastguma "People become nihilists because they believe nihilism is true, and they value truth." Acceptance of a belief has little to do with evaluation. Naturally existing cognitive functions facilitates logic. Logic dictates a reasoned choice between choices. It's not that a choice denotes preference or a realization of value. Addmitance of a fact does not mean that you value the belief of that fact. You may value a lie more than truth, but you cannot naturally believe while conscious of the-
CrimsonToast 1 year ago
@Gastguma (cont) while conscious of the fact that it is a lie. As Camus said, "Man is always prey to his truths."
So your proposition: 'Nihilists paradoxically value truth, thus making them not true nihilists,' is false. Because the allocation value does not enter into the equation when it is only natural to believe what perception dictates as fact.
CrimsonToast 1 year ago
@Gastguma hypocrisy and contradiction also have no value. the label 'nihilist' is for your benefit, what a nihilist acknowledges is intellectual honesty, facts. you used the word "truth" in 2 different contexts to satisfy your argument, nihilists take nothing on faith. i aint trying to convince you either, just giving you food for thought.
Nihilocracy 1 year ago
@Gastguma
Which is tragedy in itself.
AirForceGirl05 1 year ago
@Gastguma "value" is a concept.it doesn't exist.truth simply is.
robertlagogi 11 months ago
@robertlagogi truth doesn't exist either, it is just a concept, even if you thought something was true, how would you know?
Innovater6 11 months ago
@Innovater6 truth is a term that coresponds to "how things are in the Universe".We are all made from truth.So if you say that, you say you don't exist.
robertlagogi 11 months ago
@robertlagogi i don't exist
Innovater6 11 months ago
Its a contradiction isnt it? sort of like those who hate conforming and hate those who conform, so if we conform to your non conformity then we are still conforming. Its a circle of idiocy. Im a nihilist but i see the issue with nihilism because there is no absolute truth but in order to reach nihilism you must be truthful to yourself, is it absolute? Its confusing.
scienceatheism 10 months ago
@Gastguma Wrong, true Nihilists do not live long enough to define their belief. They realize that nothing has value and decide that since they do not wish to go through the suffering of losing everything they work hard to achieve they commit suicide.
At least that is how i see it, please correct me if I'm wrong.
manarazer 10 months ago
@manarazer No offense to you. But i believe that this is a falacy.
In fact, i see it as the contrary.
We see ourselves as the ones who have finally been freed from the stranglehold of religion.
This is turn gives life a whole new meaning, and has given me a new reason to live.
God Failed me, and given enough time he will fail everyone. I live to see the day that the world is freed of the Matrix-like program we call religion. Meant to shield your eyes and control you. Question all of this.
TheChad326 9 months ago
@Gastguma So in a way a true nihilist gives up even nihilism too
chavochavo22 10 months ago
@Gastguma We get the lack of reason of faith. We have seen and noticed this very concept as it is, and while we are by no means "nothing", we are not by any means special.
When the world is shown the wonders of the future to a modern age and god falls off of his pedestal in our lives. The mental shackles of religion shall be lifted from those it has imprisoned and we Nihilists and Atheists will be there to welcome them back to reason and reality with open arms and love until the end of time.
TheChad326 9 months ago
@Gastguma No. Thats a circular argument.
Pomaori 8 months ago
@Gastguma No, nihilism does not deal with "accepting truth", you are completely off base, one of the largest forms of nihilism, "existential nihilism" basically argues that "life has no meaning." That's not a "truth" as a "truth" would have to be something that is fact, a fact must be able to be proven and cannot be unproven. You cannot "prove" a point of view for being "truth" so there for Existential Nihilism, and almost all others are perspectives, not truth's.
bud389 4 months ago
@bud389 Life having no meaning and purpose is actually a fact. Because no purpose is expressed to us and random events can't become an intended outcome.
Even if an outcome was intended by a divine being that still wouldn't give purpose to anything as the existence and nature of that being can also not be verified as something that "ought" to be.
TatsujinSan 4 months ago
@TatsujinSan You cannot factually state that life has no meaning, no one can, for all you know when we die were transported to some extra-dimensional realm where everything we did in our lives had an effect that universally changed that one, no one knows, and the audacity for you to claim you know is appaulling.
bud389 4 months ago
@bud389 "You cannot factually state that life has no meaning"
Yes, yes I can. If it hasn't been expressed to us then it can be deviated from. If it can be deviated from then it was never a purpose.
"for all you know when we die we're transported to some extra-dimensional realm where everything we did in our lives had an effect that universally changed that one."
Explain how that hypothetical would give a purpose.
TatsujinSan 3 months ago
@TatsujinSan Who says that there is purpose to anything? Who's to say that everything we do DOESN'T have purpose? You can't, unless you assume, and if you assume it's not fact, since it's not fact, NO, YOU DONT KNOW and NO, you CANNOT use it as "proof" of your point.
To say "you know" is to be just like those catholics or muslims that say "they know," but do they really? No, they don't, and neither do you.
bud389 3 months ago
@bud389 "Who's to say that everything we do DOESN'T have purpose"
If meaning/purpose hasn't been defined then there is no reason to believe it exists. If it can't be known then it is useless to think of it in the way that you're trying to. You'll just have to live under the assumption that it's up to you to decide how you want to spend your time on earth and that no "higher" entity appears to exist or to give a shit about what occurs here.
TatsujinSan 3 months ago
@bud389 I explained this to you very clearly but you just don't seem to get it.
Explain to me what a purpose is if it's not an OPINION of what "should be"
TatsujinSan 3 months ago
@TatsujinSan A purpose is either an idea or a reality, which one, neither i, nor you, nor anyone else for that matter has the right to say which.
bud389 3 months ago
@bud389 A purpose, so far, has only been known to be an idea. An idea that there is some goal we are supposed to achieve in life. This implies intent.
Are you with me so far? If the INTENT, comes from the individual, then it is an opinion of what your life goal should be. It is not an objective truth that your life should reach that goal.
You keeping up sparky? If the INTENT, comes from outside the individual and can be DEVIATED from (via free will) then it is THAT entities OPINION.
TatsujinSan 3 months ago
@TatsujinSan It's amazing how much of a fucking retard you are, the fact you cannot follow a single fucking thing im saying astounds me. Instead of going after straw man arguments and responding with pointlessly dull rhetorical comments, why not contribute to the god damn conversation? OH thats right, your a fucking dipshit apparently. Understand yet, SPARKY?
bud389 3 months ago
@bud389 Oh I can follow what you're saying and it's absolutely HILARIOUS and ironic that you're insulting MY intelligence when clearly it's your stupidity that's the problem here.
Straw man? I'm explaining to you why it's a fact that there's no ultimate purpose or meaning to life. Yes I was condescending to you in my last comment, because you continued to assume I was being arrogant just because you couldn't grasp how I'm able to draw such conclusions. Displaying your own arrogance.
TatsujinSan 3 months ago
@bud389 ...(cont)
I debunked your claim that I can't say life has no meaning or purpose.
If YOU would like to contribute something to the conversation then try addressing what I've said instead of being dismissive and insulting.
TatsujinSan 3 months ago
@bud389 Nihilism isn't saying that about your life, it's saying that about human life in general, the way humans work. And this is the truth. If this wasn't true, there would be one essential meaning and we would all be following it, but this obviously isn't the case. The case is, there are thousands of belief systems and they all can make you "feel alive," or give meaning to YOUR life in one way or another. It's a personal choice you make and decide what you want your life to mean.
CntthnkO15 3 months ago
@Gastguma It doesn't "undermine" anything. You just choose to look at it that way. I think it's amazing knowing I have full control and responsibility over my life and no divine asshole has any say in it. Don't try to speak for something you have no clue about.
CntthnkO15 3 months ago
i dont believe in religions,morality or any other thing.i only believe in pussy,can i consider myself a nihilist?
geiuy 1 year ago
Nihilism and Religion are so old Fashioned.
peterpansyndrome86 1 year ago
Niether Nihilism nor Religion will Guide anyone to 'the truth' .
Can you see Spiritual ideas working outside of the context of Religion?
I Can.
peterpansyndrome86 1 year ago
Nihilism will not guide anymore to 'the truth' Nor Will Religion. Can you see Spiritual ideas working outside of the Context of Religion? I can.
peterpansyndrome86 1 year ago
Nihilism will always pass by as an empty idea....because that's what it stands for. It is absolute, *all encompassing* negation, which therefore negates itself as an impacting observation, leaving the 'harmony' that is existence and the non exsistent forever standing in equilbrium. To anyone who says nihilism=suicide, or even some kind of depression, should look at it instead as a still pool of water, a centre, and a peaceful equilibrium.
Dozedmonkey 1 year ago
Every morning I wake up, grab a bowl, fill it with a colorful substance, pour milk into the bowl, and eat the food. That is my Truth. One day I will die, alone, forsaken, regretting that I didn't try any other cereal, and the process will end. Life in a salty pepper-jack nut shell.
Chibithy 1 year ago
@Chibithy
Lol!
SerenityShootingStar 1 year ago
@SerenityShootingStar Lulz
Chibithy 1 year ago
@coolasacoldsummer Yes and no. My point is that there is no rational response. Therefore, the only way to avoid all non-rational actions is to do nothing, which in biological life forms inevitably leads quickly to death. So if you're not dead or dying through inactivity, you are doing something that's not rationally justifiable. (Obviously, I don't disapprove of doing things that aren't rational, since I've survived the months since I made the original comment!)
chromethink 1 year ago
the fundamental question isn't what is the purpose and/or meaning of life? that question is a joke. people shouldn't even be asking that anymore. obviously, there is no meaning or purpose in an objective sense. the real question is, given that there is no objective meaning and purpose what do we do? become absurdists? commit physical or philosophical suicide? or pursue some other alternative?
akaskyscraper 1 year ago
nihilism ruined my life, i'll probably end up killing myself lol
Innovater6 1 year ago
blah blah blah wash with shampoo and clean yourself with my religion, ok I'll join for only $9.99 a month yada yada yoda rinse with the human condition
humansarebetter 1 year ago
i dont believe in god, i dont believe in evolution, i dont believe in love or peace..
LemurDeCatta 1 year ago
@LemurDeCatta You were right on the god part, but you are retarded if you do not believe in evolution. Evolution is supported by empirical evidence.
j3ff820 1 year ago
@j3ff820 Mind you, evolution is not something you "beleive" in, its something you understand. When people say "beleive" in evolution it appears as if they are reffering to the process as a beleif system, (and no doubt alot of shitless sky daddy lovers think it so) but it is not. Beleiving and understanding are 2 very different things. When someone asks you to beleive something, theyre asking you to take their word for it, but to understand something requires a bit of exploration.
Blodslav 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@Blodslav "Mind you, evolution is not something you "beleive" in, its something you understand. " No, you can believe evolution occurred and is responsible for the diversity of life, even without understanding it. Just because ancient people didn't understand general relativity or even Newton's law of gravity, doesn't mean they didn't believe things fall toward the ground.
chromethink 1 year ago
Comment removed
crazyfighter7280 1 year ago
Comment removed
crazyfighter7280 1 year ago
Comment removed
crazyfighter7280 1 year ago
typical nihilism. without meaning, it's hard to overcome the bad times. meaning comes from belief in something higher than yourself. so until a nihilist tells me how to feel good in the universe without objective sense of meaning, they can suck it
chrispollock 1 year ago
@chrispollock
Yes, it is hard to overcome a time a great suffering when you have nothing to fall back on ,but when we do rise above it then we become stronger for the next challenge. If you are racing on foot with another person and he beats you, do you stand in a corner and pray to be faster, or do you train so that you yourself may improve your speed. I don't see meaning in this world, but that doesn't mean I am not at peace (whatever that means).
carthonasi08 1 year ago
@carthonasi08 i'm not talking about something you can improve, like running speed. that's hardly devastating. i'm talking terminal illness, catostrophic loss of life, the moments before being executed for a crime you didn't commit. heavy stuff. when you have no hope, maybe you can cope without appealing to something beyond yourself, but you would be in the minority i suppose
chrispollock 1 year ago
@chrispollock
Besides, who ever said meaning comes from something greater than themselves? You said I have a sad worldview, but you rely on things to be handed to you before you realize you already had it.
carthonasi08 1 year ago
@carthonasi08 that is the idea of meaning, that it transcends any one situation you find yourself in or any particular mindset you have at a given time. that it is a safe harbor in the storm. according to you, meaning is basically the sum of your individual experience, but it has no substance outside of you.
chrispollock 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I understand this belief very well. I really don't like it, but it is hard to prove wrong. Some of the worse experiences of my life came from contemplating the possibility of nihilism, especially when I used to smoke lots of marijuana and wondering at the nature of reality, I thought of nihilism fully and honestly with myself, and it was the worse fucking thing that has ever happened to me. I prey, prey, that it is not true, I feel dead already if it is true, but I would bet it is not in the end
Saffiros 1 year ago
Anything you can think or say is total bull crap. Allowing that fact to stop you from participation in life is the sin.
jobedied 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
How can "being honest, respectful and open" lead us to truth? When those "values" are *subjective*
They hold no objective value and are only subjective preferences (This is the nature of nihilism)
masterthehate2 1 year ago
How can "being honest, respectful and open" lead us to truth? When those "values" are *subjective*
They hold no objective value and are only subjective preferences (This is the nature of nihilism)
masterthehate2 1 year ago
@masterthehate2
They are subjective, but at the same time they are useful tools in establishing a healthy dialogue. Nihilism does not preclude values or standards, just ones based off of arbitrary things, which makes them morals.
tattat44 1 year ago
How can "being honest, respectful and open" lead us to truth? When those "values" are *subjective*
They hold no objective value and are only subjective preferences (This is the nature of nihilism)
masterthehate2 1 year ago
Randomness doesn't exist.
We're here due to probability, the right sequences at the right time in the right environment allowed the first single celled organisms to evolve and eventually... Here we stand.
We nihilists DO believe there is no inherent value in anything. David Hume "There is a difference between an ought and is"
Suffice it to say, the rudimentary definition of nihilism you provided would take more effort to rectify than I'm willing to give. (I only have 40 characters left)
masterthehate2 1 year ago
i do not follow any religion and very much like some of the nihilistic thinking; but you cant claim for sure that there is no higher deity or non material existence. so me as a mere human do not deny nor claim that there is god, gods or soul.
infinitytru 1 year ago
@infinitytru You can't prove it, but logic pretty much destroys religion (sadly, many people ignore logic). As for the idea of a soul, I can't say for sure. I'm not even 100% certain what a soul is, to be honest.
4104jake 1 year ago
@4104jake could you give examples of how logic destroys religion please
Innovater6 1 year ago
@Innovater6 Well, I was raised Christian, so I'll talk about that. Why was cannabalism choosen to symbolyze allowing Jesus into your life? Why did he have to die to let us in to heaven if God is all powerful? Why allow Satan to rome free? Why is it called free will if we go to hell after disobeying God? How can you expect someone to follow you if they have followed one way of living for they're entire life and you refuse to give any evidence that you even exist? I think the answer is obvious.
4104jake 1 year ago
@4104jake thanks for sharing
Innovater6 1 year ago
Okay last words: Sorry to sound like a smart ass. Just felt like I should talk about it. I left a lot out, but tackling the meaning of life in under 500 character; pretty tough. I can't go away without Mentioning Thomas Nagel, he wrote an essay called the absurd. You won't find the meaning of life, but, it'll definitely cheer you up, and it'll give you something to say next time someone claims that we're meaningless just because we're small in comparison to the size of the universe.
grimwatcher 1 year ago
In other words, what objects or concepts deserve top priority, and what is your justification for doing so? I guess I'm referring here to a very narrow sense of "meaning of life". The sense in which one finds motivation and happiness. which is a more psychological problem rather then philosophical. In a few words, the meaning of your life is a concept you have to form yourself. and you may want to do that based on the best information we have, info as close to the truth as possible
grimwatcher 1 year ago
I heard once from a friend that life has no meaning. Well, depends on what you mean by life has no meaning. A meaning, simply is a human concept, an applied mental process which describes the universe or an object in it. There's no reason to believe that any material has intrinsic meaning, but rather, such meaning is applied to it by the human mind. In such case, then everything has meaning.Thereby rendering it a trivial matter. so the real problem is that of relevance...
grimwatcher 1 year ago
love the vid. bad pics though some are ok.
socaldave88 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
A man goes to see his therapist. His therapist asks him how he's doing. Man says he's depressed. Feels threatened in a violent and hostile society. Therapist asks him if he's taking his meds. Yes, the man answers. The therapist then recommends he go to a comedy show. It's Polliacchi the clown. "I love Polliacchi, always cheers me up when I'm down."
The man's reply sent a chill up the therapist spine. "But doc, I am Polliacchi."
762AnimalMother 2 years ago
this is very superficial
you are stating that religion provides false hope while giving no supporting evidence to that end.
i agree with you however this does not go deep enough in to the matter
its somewhat of an "I am right, they are wrong" type of argument your making
and for the record i am an atheist
crimsonmisfits138 2 years ago
thassa good video. but don't expect anyone to become less PC. everyone but me is a rabid conventionalist, and real radicals don't exist no mo'.
2xcheese 2 years ago
you kick ass rejs7
zarathustralives21 2 years ago
I like the trance song...Anyone know what it's called?
jackkrauser92 2 years ago
Nice, quoting wikipedia.
oncelosthorizon 2 years ago
Great video. For all who undrstand and for those biting their lips - I recomend a deep breath and a good book - The Lucifer Priciple by Howard Bloom. Peace. Really.
longslidenyc 2 years ago
oh.
GoochExpress 2 years ago
this video provides false hope in finding truth the same as theism provided false hope in finding truth..if there was a scale of truth and understanding, religion would keep us at 0, while science would progress us up that scale, but if that scale is infinite, science would also take us nowhere, while giving us the illusion that it is..while religion stays still, science navigates, yet it navigates a circular corkscrew infinitely high. the only truth is existence..
itzahazylife 2 years ago
I like theists the same way I like monkeys. They can be... entertaining.
AnotherMasterMind 2 years ago
There are flaws with atheism as well as theism.
oncelosthorizon 2 years ago
Like what?
AnotherMasterMind 2 years ago
Go to anusDOTcom (stands for American Nihilst Underground Society) and search for the article, "Theism and Atheism". Youtube won't let me post the link.
oncelosthorizon 2 years ago
I'm not falling for that...ANUS
ArandurKing909 2 years ago
Read the article. It treats atheism as if it means belief in no god at the same degree as theists believe there is. Not so. Atheism is about being intellectually honest. A lack of any evidence may give licence to claim no god within practical knowledge, but this is very different from the belief theists have.
AnotherMasterMind 2 years ago
The flaw with atheism is its tendency to reduce the world to material particles made up still smaller particles. It is like trying to slice a loaf of bread into smaller and smaller slices in search of the 'last' slice. You cannot locate reality without resorting to an idea of consciousness, an entity without substance, which must ultimately remain a mystery to itself.
luvdomus 2 years ago
I think your refering to "naturalism". Atheism is the lack of belief on a god, like a-astrology is the lack of belief in astrology. Besides that, I'm with you 100 %. We can all have our suspicions about the truth of reality, but I think most atheists are concerned with whats reasonable to believe. While reason is not able to reach absolute knowledge, it's the best tool we have.
AnotherMasterMind 2 years ago
You are right; atheism strictly defined is simply lack of belief in any god. But in practicfe many self-described atheists have been Dialectical Materialists, refusing to lrecognise anything beyond the so-called scientific method. Pilosophers like Alan Watts, however, have influenced atheism in the direction of Hindu-Buddhist thinking, where reality is a manifestation of Consciousness which represents a middle way between fundamentalist literalism and Spock-like logic.
luvdomus 2 years ago
Agreed. I sometimes find myself falling into that category and have to admit that materialism usually comes with the territory. Although refusing to recognize something beyond the scientific method and saying it is absolutely impossible are 2 different things. I've not met an atheist who claims to know with perfect certainty something does not exist, lacking a perfect standard. Every sane person at the core seems to be an egnostic in part.
AnotherMasterMind 2 years ago
That's only because of the flaws of existence.
ArandurKing909 2 years ago
um, atheism...?
tasara1989 2 years ago
Atheists can still believe in morals and a point in being good. Nihilists believe there is no point in anything and no stance on anything can be more logical than the other because they both don't matter.
Don't relate non-theists with being immoral.
ImSpartacus811 2 years ago
As a proud Nihilist, I find that this video has no meaning. Anyways, whether you worship a god or not, it's all going to end up the same way for all of us. So enough of the damned arguments on morals and religions, and just keep it to yourself. Wait a second... If you keep it to yourself, that means other people won't complain about your personal belief. By god/ gods/ goddess/ logical reasoning, that makes sense! Also, I'm sleep deprived. Take what you will from that.
NikSchemel 2 years ago
"As a proud Nihilist, I find that this video has no meaning. "
Pfft.. haha. That comment made my day.
LinuxPython 2 years ago
You sound more like an atheist or an absurdist than a nihilist.
oncelosthorizon 2 years ago
I detest people that call the religious nonsensical when you perpetuate the very hypocracy you slander. Freedom from religion to be happy is nothing more than removing ever hinderance aspect to your primal urges. This does nothing, but drown the mind in a blissful and ignorant chemical high of dopamine and endorphins. This only a distraction to keep our minds off our mortality. This is useless in the end.
hippo11222 2 years ago
Religion doesn't equal Morality.
lacklusterkid 2 years ago
in fact, Nietzche says that religion is the mother of the false morality
metalmess 2 years ago
@metalmess and in fact nietzsche was right.
inmemoryofPA 2 years ago
He also points out that theists are the ultimate nihilists, in that they believe in so little they must create false deities to give life meaning.
NihilistImp 2 years ago
CrunkChipmunk, you blather on about religious fools, as if you have some kind of advantage under them. Nihilism is not freedom, it is the realization that we are not free. If Nihilism is correct, then we are all destined for oblivion and neither you nor these "religious fools" have any advantage over the other.
hippo11222 2 years ago 9
@hippo11222 depends on your definition of "freedom." and if your are talking about hard determinism that is most definitely an entirely different and separate issue. but i agree. if you go w/ the nihilistic perspective it doesn't really matter who's correct about the matter. we all suffer the same fate. could still call them "fools" though. religion is bullshit.
akaskyscraper 1 year ago
@hippo11222 no, nihilism is the recognition of the lack of value and meaning in all things. I as a nihilist am free to do anything physically possible without moral reprocussion because I don't value life, and I know that moral code is without valid foundation. I understand that we are animals, and thus are born with the instinctual desire to survive and reproduce, but I also know that once you break that code there's no concequence. I live to sate my own desires no matter how irrational only
dormirenonpotest 1 year ago
@dormirenonpotest And by not free I mean there is no ultimate freedom. Freedom as doing anything you want is not true freedom. By a determinist stance your only obeying your programing. By a nihilistic stance any kind of freedom outside living life the way you want to would be illusory. Friedrich Nietzche surely recognizes this, but I appreciate your intellectual consistency to your world view by following it to its logical conclusion.
hippo11222 1 year ago
@hippo11222 wouldn't ultimate freedom be death (the complete release of conciousness)? As for the nihilistic stance, yes, but I recognize that my desires are fueled entirely by instinct, and I sate my desires all the same because given the uncertain amount of time I have left have in existence I want to do things that please me. I recognize how shallow pleasure and pain are, but one must remember that even though perception may be a lie, we percieve pleasure and pain all the same.
dormirenonpotest 1 year ago
@dormirenonpotest Funny, I was thinking the same thing, but I would have to reconsider. Freedom is not freedom unless it can be exercised. Therefore there would not be any true freedom in the ultimate sense. This was the logical conclusion to the statement that I previously made months ago.
hippo11222 1 year ago
hmmm... I must say that I agree. Good job, by the way. I hadn't thought of that.
dormirenonpotest 1 year ago
@dormirenonpotest Thanks.
hippo11222 1 year ago
@hippo11222 because I recognize myself as the only valid conciousness in existence.
dormirenonpotest 1 year ago
@dormirenonpotest, I understand your a nihilist, so what do you mean the only valid conciousness? You mean Solipsism?
hippo11222 1 year ago
@hippo11222 nihilo/atheist do have an advantage of theist in that our lives are not led by delusions and we are aware they they are not lead by such things, this completely changes ones perspective on the hardships of life even the highpoints, nihilism is true freedom as we realize we are constrained by nothing else but our own subjective constraints or the subjective constraints of others
we are all destined for oblivion whether you believe in any number of the gods or not
UncertainTruth 1 year ago 14
@UncertainTruth Having an advantage itself in a nihilistic viewpoint is subjective. Why would would it be better to not to live one's life under an illusion/delusion? You could feel/think that the fact that you know you have no meaning nor purpose and are aware of the delusion yet continue to live life regardless is a bigger disadvantage. The point of nihilism is that there is no objective advantage.
Daxcheese 1 year ago
@UncertainTruth you cant say for certain anything buddy
Innovater6 1 year ago
@UncertainTruth wow..nihilism is wild. is their any credible text discussing nihilism?
Asthegrave 9 months ago
@Asthegrave Try Nietzsche
Pomaori 8 months ago
@UncertainTruth im thinking of becoming a nihilist... can you explain it simply to me just to make sure in getting it right...
yttihp11 8 months ago
Live the truth or die to know!
f4zaken 2 years ago
If you want to be taken more seriously trying not using photos of Bart Simpson or Lego figures. Wiki also adds to the lack of seriousness and the amount of effort in research you put into this video.
AppleKiller2308 2 years ago
Comment removed
Mefion91 2 years ago
@AppleKiller2308
:') im with you senpai
Mefion91 2 years ago
A purely rational creature would simply curl up on the ground and die of thirst. Those of us who don't do this (even nihilists!) are clearly driven by some irrational desire, some delusion of purpose. "Caring for your fellow man," as the video suggests, is no more rationally justifiable than worshipping wafers and wine. So atheists need to lose their airs of superiority.
chromethink 2 years ago 9