Beyond meaning: A journey into nihilistic philosophy

By Jasdev

Amidst myriad philosophical doctrines, there exists a chasm. Denouncing all principalities on the grounds of an unfounded meaning, Nihilism contests all that is. This philosophical enquiry requires subversion of all that one knows and promises in return a rebellious intervention in the face of despair.

Historical thinkers have tussled with questions concerning meaning, reality and knowledge aiding the later critiques by laying the groundwork. The term Nihilism essentially means “nothing”. The origins of Nihilism can be traced back to the ancient philosophical traditions. In ancient Greek philosophy thinkers such as Heraclitus questioned the possibility of truth that is objective and the reliability of human knowledge. As religious doctrines laid forth the idea of an objective truth and divine meaning, nihilistic themes emerged. Questioning the foundations of reality and meaning, the philosophy offers an uncommon worldview; on the meaninglessness of existence, the dubious nature of an objective truth and in relation to epistemology, skepticism pertaining to the verification of knowledge.

Nihilistic themes reverberate throughout literature. Many literary works such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment embody existential nihilism, portraying characters who deal with the meaninglessness of existence. Another common theme is moral nihilism, as authors challenge the traditional notions of morality and ethics. In Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of darkness”, for example, the author confronts the moral ambiguity of colonialism, colonial powers justify their actions on the grounds of morality as a benevolent endeavor to bring progress to the backward societies; it all is however but a façade for economic exploitation and cultural domination.

Critics argue that nihilism can lead to a moral abyss as traditional frameworks collapse and an inherent meaning is lost, leaving people disoriented on moral and ethical grounds without a sense of direction. Without being anchored to an objective truth, nihilism may justify immoral behaviour. Existential philosophers such as Jean-Paul Sartre respond to nihilism by advocating individual agency over the creation of meaning in its absence. In a similar fashion absurdist thinkers are the proponents of a rebellion in the spirit of defiance to find meaning.

In a world of objective truths and doctrines, the nihilistic philosophy encourages us to venture past the confines of meaning and within the labyrinth of the human condition. It offers a quest for meaning in the absence of one, a rebellion in the form of an absurdist inquiry.