absurdism vs nihilism reddit

Nihilism is one of the few branches of philosophy that opens itself to the possibility of absolute nothingness. Existentialism is a philosophical movement that started in the 19th century as a result of revolt against the then dominant school of thoughts. Optimistic Nihilism derives from the nihilistic notion of fundamental meaningless life. ; It shows the lack of faith in which man finds himself and which leads him to the consciousness of nothingness and the absurd. Both … Like Nihilism, it is atheistic in nature; without a God, the universe lacks an purpose. of love, ethics, phil. nihilism jumps to the conclusion of "nothing exists", and absurdism argues that existence is absurd (and thus the questions themselves must be absurd as well). The most important characteristics of nihilism are the following: The word nihilism originated in the Latin word nihil, which means “nothing“. Nihilism, on the contrary, contends that "it is futile to seek or to affirm meaning where none can be found. Ultimately, however, any claims of nihilism in the text of The Outsider may gain the most credence from the fact that Meursault surrenders to death, faced by the hopeless situation of being sentenced to capital punishment: “everybody knows that life isn’t worth living…It was still only me who was dying, whether it was now or in twenty year’s time”. Albert Camus’ novels, The Stranger and The Fall, compare the philosophical theories of nihilism and absurdism, claiming that even though life may lack meaning, morality is still important and… It is pseudo-philosophical because the intuitions behind the position are so flawed that hardly any philosopher ever takes the position seriously intellectually. Absurdism is the belief that a search for meaning is inherently in conflict with the actual lack of meaning, but that one should both accept this … religion, phil. Skepticism is a general attitude of doubt towards claims of truth, especially when the claims are not well-supported. Absurdism is the belief that a search for meaning is inherently in conflict with the actual lack of meaning, but that one should both accept this and simultaneously rebel against it by embracing what life has to offer. Existentialists are philosophers who believe that the experiences of an individual form the basis of any meaning of life. Relates to the Nihilists just don’t believe there’s meaning in the world, but they can take that belief into positive or negative directions. Think of Nihilism as an empty vessel. However, these are two different philosophies with many differences, which will be highlighted in this article for the benefit of the readers. Misconceptions Existentialism Theatre of the Absurd Nihilism A philosophy that directly deals with the individual Similar to Nihilism in that it holds that life lacks purpose. Camus explains it in The Myth of Sisyphus: the absurd is born out of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world. Like nihilism, pessimism could be seen as arising from despair. There is a difference, and it is quite significant. Existentialism: You're free to create your own meaning (it is also considered a general movement or period, like modernism in art). There are many flavors of this belief, and they are commonly—but not necessarily—paired with hedonism, pessimism, and cynicism. The word nihilism originated in the Latin word nihil, which means “nothing“. The Eternalism vs Nihilism stance tends to be more of a discussion whether the soul is eternal, and whether things exist in an ultimate sense. 4. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Nihilism is the belief that not only is there no intrinsic meaning in the universe, but that it’s pointless to try to construct our own as a substitute. Having just locked in my answers, I'm really curious whether the more versed members of Philosophy.SE will … ELI5: Existentialism vs Nihilism vs Absurdism Just read a bit of The Myth of Sisyphus by Camus and it has led me down a rabbit hole. – Jamie As nouns the difference between absurdism and existentialism is that absurdism is (uncountable|philosophy) a philosophy which holds that the universe is chaotic and irrational and that any attempt to impose order will ultimately fail while existentialism is (philosophy|not countable) a twentieth-century philosophical movement emphasizing the uniqueness of each human existence in freely … In fact, we might even go so far as to say that pessimism is the opposite of nihilism. Skeptics often reject almost any claim that doesn’t have extremely good evidence supporting it. Lovecraftian Cosmicism – Existentialism, Absurdism and Nihilism — Eternalised – Philosophy (Reblog) Francis cosmology , philosophy , poetry , reblog January 5, 2021 December 30, 2020 1 Minute Existential nihilism is the philosophical theory that life has no intrinsic meaning or value.With respect to the universe, existential nihilism suggests that a single human or even the entire human species is insignificant, without purpose and unlikely to change in the totality of existence. The absurdist philosopher Albert Camus stated that individuals should embrace the absurd condition of human existence.. Absurdism shares some concepts, and a common theoretical template, with existentialism and nihilism. As a philosophical position, nihilism involves denying certain existence claims. Believe me, the prevalence of these themes kind of took me by surprise, as these are not topics I tend to dwell on, nor are the necessarily deep held beliefs of mine. Absurdism The idea of the absurd is a common theme in many existentialist works, particularly in Camus. The motifs of existentialism and absurdism in The Outsider are most saliently presented through Camus’ main protagonist, Meursault, who exhibits a stoic indifference to humanity and its values throughout the novel, instead revealing them to be absurd and objectively meaningless. Nihilism, from the Latin "Nihil" for "Nothing," states as its basic tenet that nothing has meaning outside of the meaning we assign to it as humans. But the philosophy of “Optimistic Nihilism” goes on to expound a thesis similar to that of the Zen popularizer, Alan Watts, who has soothed many a case of existential dread with his response to the idea that we are somehow separate from the universe, either hovering above it or crushed beneath it. r/Absurdism This is a subreddit dedicated to the aggregation and discussion of articles and miscellaneous content regarding absurdist philosophy and tangential topics. And you can be a Nihilist Optimist. Is there any? I wrote a piece about all of these issues several years ago. Kierkegaard and Camus describe the solutions in their works, The Sickness Unto Death (1849) and The Myth of Sisyphus(1942), respectively: 1. Lovecraftian Cosmicism – Existentialism, Absurdism and Nihilism — Eternalised – Philosophy (Reblog) Francis cosmology , philosophy , poetry , reblog January 5, 2021 December 30, 2020 1 Minute We also provide student loans to assist in the education of our members. Both existentialism and absurdism accept this but respond in different ways. Essentially, don’t think about it, period. As beings looking for meaning in a meaningless world, humans have three ways of resolving the dilemma. Pessimism is the lack of hope, the belief that bad things will happen, and that things will get worse. [2] As nouns the difference between existentialism and nihilism is that existentialism is (philosophy|not countable) a twentieth-century philosophical movement emphasizing the uniqueness of each human existence in freely making its self-defining choices while nihilism is (philosophy) a philosophical doctrine grounded on the negation of one or more meaningful aspects of life. Existentialism is a philosophical movement that started in the 19th century as a result of revolt against the then dominant school of thoughts. Like nihilism, pessimism could be seen as arising from despair. It shows the lack of faith in which man finds himself and which leads him to the consciousness of nothingness and the absurd. Nihilism is the belief that there’s no meaning to our lives, and that it’s pointless to look for it. 2. Nihilism is a philosophical belief which asserts that the universe lacks cosmic or objective meaning and that life has no intrinsic value. mind, phil. Nihilism, more specifically existential nihilism, argues that life has no intrinsic meaning, purpose, or value. Relates to the There no alternative way around it. Another option is to simply be happy-go-lucky, enjoying the surface of things and not looking any deeper than that (since you already know there’s nothing to find). Importantly, Nihilism is simply the “lack of meaning” component, and not any positive or negative valence that can come with that belief. Maybe you've delved into the existence of God or thought about the concept that maybe we're all just figments of someone's imagination or dream. Absurdism further argues that all attempts to find meaning, either inherent or from one's self (existentialism), will ultimately fail but we should embrace the Absurd (the contradictory co-existence of the value-seeking human mind and the valueless world) and defiantly seek meaning anyway. There is a difference, and it is quite significant. Camus, Nietzsche, and Sartre were all heavily influenced by Kierkegaard. Then realistically you should probably just stop reading existentialist literature. Help us improve our videos:https://www.patreon.com/60secondphilosophyThanks for watching, please comment and subscribe. You can be a devout Christian Pessimist. The term nihilism comes from the Latin word ‘nihil’ which literally means “nothing.” Many believe that it was originally coined by Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev in his novel Fathers and Sons (1862) but it probably first appeared several decades earlier. Perhaps it will be of help. An Information Security Glossary of Terms. I would like a bit of clarification between the three theories and for someone to explain to me how possible it is that we are living in a meaningless life. Nihilism is the belief that not only is there no intrinsic meaning in the universe, but that it’s pointless to try to construct our own as a substitute. Every Monday I send out a list of the best content I've found in the last week to around 50,000 people. All three have their origins with the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, who sought to discover how one can live as the individual. Man in his search for meaning—everyman— is Albert Camus’ rebel. You might suspect that I’ve read lots of Friedrich Nietzsche (the dude who claimed God was dead), but in reality I haven’t. Nihilists probably lean towards Pessimism, but they’re not inexorably tied. All the Nihilist is saying is that the empty bucket isn’t full of invisible morality and truth and meaning by default. Absurdism is the belief that a search for meaning is inherently in conflict with the actual lack of meaning, but that one should both accept this and simultaneously rebel against it by embracing what life has to offer. Absurdism: (Only relates to the meaning of life, existence) It is impossible, therefore irrelevant, for man to know or understand the meaning of life. In the same way konrad01 is describing Buddhism holds the middle between the two, seeing objects as real but dependently originated, not self and unsatisfactory. Online, philosophical axioms associated with existential nihilism have been paired with various pop culture references and Internet memes for … Like Nihilism, it is atheistic in nature; without a God, the universe lacks an purpose. Namely nihilism, the absurd, and the sacred is dead. Nihilism comes from the Latin nihil, meaning "nothing". The most important characteristics of nihilism are the following: 1. Considering the works of Nietzsche/Ortega, it's more about thinking about one's existence and place in the world. https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/3cqhmx/existentialism_vs_absurdism/, https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/2h5bx0/isnt_absurdism_still_technically_nihilism/, https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/3v5rr4/what_is_nihilism_what_is_absurdism_existentialism/, https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/19kz1a/what_are_the_key_differences_between_secular/, https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/322aqr/eli5_the_differences_between_existentialism/, https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/2ajr5y/absurdism_vs_existentialism/, https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/394q1n/im_stuck_between_atheistic_existentialism/, https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/q0441/what_are_the_primary_differences_between/, https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/400cpm/differences_between_nihilism_existentialism_and/, I'm sure this one will answer the question once and for all, https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/400cpm/differences_between_nihilism_existentialism_and/cyqg9q0. As mentioned by User in his/her answer here, nihilism essentially just deems everything as meaningless, and that all meaning should be removed. As a philosophy, absurdism furthermore explores the fundamental nature of the Absurd and how individuals, once becoming conscious of the Absurd, should respond to it. Having just locked in my answers, I'm really curious whether the more versed members of Philosophy.SE will … Since Nihilists don’t believe in any intrinsic meaning, they often find something to use as a substitute. In fact, we might even go so far as to say that pessimism is the opposite of nihilism. Existentialists are philosophers who believe that the experiences of an individual form the basis of any meaning of life. Nihilism is the belief that not only is there no intrinsic meaning in the universe, but that it’s pointless to try to construct our own as a substitute. I think Absurdism, coined by Albert Camus, is one of our most powerful and practical philosophical concepts.It’s often defined as: It’s the conflict itself, not either of the two sides that are conflicting. Gender Nihilism was conceived in community, through discussion between myself and a group of comrades primarily composed of other trans women of color. "[8] Absurdism, in Camus's formulation, hesitantly allows the possibility for some meaning or value in life, but is neither as certain as existentialism is about the value of one's own constructed meaning nor as nihilism is about the… In the narrow sense, which is to say from Sartre, existentialism's response to nihilism is that we as radically free subjects thrown into a meaningless universe are solely responsible for the meaning we give it. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, ancient Greek phil., phil. Importantly, this doesn’t require Nihilism. Thanks for the request. By Daniel Miessler in Philosophy Created/Updated: January 20, 2020. You escape Nihilism once you realize that it is a pseudo-philosophical position. Camus, Nietzsche, and Sartre were all heavily influenced by Kierkegaard. It’s up to them what they put in there themselves. Nevertheless, when you read José Ortega ("Some Lessons In Metaphysics" for instance) it takes existentialism away from the question of will. If they hear that some manufacturing plant owner paid their employees over the holidays, despite the plant being shut down for repairs, they’re likely to believe they did it for the PR. I'm beginning to believe we sort of are and that we should ignore that feeling and just do what makes us happy. It's more than just creating one's own meaning. Nihilism is the belief that not only is there no intrinsic meaning in the universe, but that it’s pointless to try to construct our own as a substitute. Please read before you start asking yourself questions. Just read a bit of The Myth of Sisyphus by Camus and it has led me down a rabbit hole. Exploring the similarities and differences between Absurdism, Existentialism and Nihilism. The absurdist philosopher Albert Camus stated that individuals should embrace the absurd condition of human existence.. Absurdism shares some concepts, and a common theoretical template, with existentialism and nihilism. What’s the difference between nihilism and absurdism? Absurdism vs Existentialism . It considers some arguments for the views, some arguments against them, and some arguments designed to decide between them. Moral nihilism and moral relativism are meta-ethical theories, theories of the nature of morality. Nihilism is the belief that there’s no meaning to our lives, and that it’s pointless to look for it. Nihilism definition is - a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that existence is senseless and useless. These are thoughts and questions philosophers deal with on a regular basis; questions that require a great deal of thought and study to understand. All three have their origins with the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, who sought to discover how one can live as the individual. In The Rebel man must accept and seek to encounter the universe as it presents itself in absurdity.He encounters the universe out of a strange love and a need for something in which he can place his hope: “a moment comes when the creation ceases to be taken tragically; it is merely taken seriously. Nihilism is the belief that there’s no meaning to our lives, and that it’s pointless to look for it. Help us improve our videos:https://www.patreon.com/60secondphilosophyThanks for watching, please comment and subscribe. Absurdism vs Existentialism . As a philosophy, absurdism furthermore explores the fundamental nature of the Absurd and how individuals, once becoming conscious of the Absurd, should respond to it. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you succeed. Albert Camus’ novels, The Stranger and The Fall, compare the philosophical theories of nihilism and absurdism, claiming that even though life may lack meaning, morality is still important and… As nouns the difference between absurdism and nihilism is that absurdism is (uncountable|philosophy) a philosophy which holds that the universe is chaotic and irrational and that any attempt to impose order will ultimately fail while nihilism is (philosophy) a philosophical doctrine grounded on the negation of one or more meaningful aspects of life. Existentialism vs Nihilism Existentialism and Nihilism are schools of thought that are similar in beliefs prompting many to mention them in the same breath. I would like a bit of clarification between the three theories and for someone to explain to me how possible it is that we are living in a meaningless life. The conflict between the human tendency to seek inherent value and meaning in life, and the human inability to find any in a purposeless, meaningless or chaotic and irrational universe. Characteristics of nihilism. Hedonism—the belief that one should pursue physical pleasure as a primary calling—is one option. Nihilism: (Can relate to multiple areas in philosophy; ethics, metaphysics, epistemology) There is no (nihil) inherent meaning in the world. Cynicism is skepticism regarding people and organizations that claim to be selfless, altruistic, and good. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the askphilosophy community. However, there are two schools of thought that come close to defining the opposite ends of thought about human existence and will help us to understand the philoso… Existentialism in its broadest sense refers to a tradition of European philosophers who begin with individual human existence and authenticity. Nihilism is a name for the thought that human values are essentially groundless or arbitrary, the realization that they have no basis in anything beyond themselves. Thanks for the request. Camus explains it in The Myth of Sisyphus: the absurd is born out of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 83,000 lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Absurdism is the belief that a search for meaning is inherently in conflict with the actual lack of meaning, but that one should both accept this and simultaneously rebel against it by embracing what life has to offer. of science, Wittgenstein, History of phil., phenomenology, phil. Have you ever questioned something in your life deeply? So the relevant types of value to make sense of actions being meaningful most likely does exist. For Camus and Sartre humans are thrown into an absurd and objectively meaningless situation, and science bares this out, we all know that the universe has an end date, and that "death is the old joke that comes to each anew". Absurdism shares some concepts, and a common theoretical template, with existentialism and nihilism. Misconceptions Existentialism Theatre of the Absurd Nihilism A philosophy that directly deals with the individual Similar to Nihilism in that it holds that life lacks purpose. 3. There are many flavors of this belief, and they are commonly—but not necessarily—paired with hedonism, pessimism, and cynicism. As nouns the difference between absurdism and nihilism is that absurdism is (uncountable|philosophy) a philosophy which holds that the universe is chaotic and irrational and that any attempt to impose order will ultimately fail while nihilism is (philosophy) a philosophical doctrine grounded on the negation of one or more meaningful aspects of life. Existentialism and absurdism can be understood as two different but very similar responses to nihilism. Press J to jump to the feed. Keep in mind that many people believe they’re skeptics, but are in fact only apply skepticism to things they don’t already believe. So it’s definitely possible to be a happy or positive Nihilist, but the state is mostly associated with negative outlooks. It was an attempt to articulate how gender had affected us all and to expose the violence of that. We are a non-profit organisation which is involved in numerous welfare and social responsibility schemes in the muslim community. Just keep in mind that Nihilism itself is neutral. The problem with "existential" meaning is that its ambiguous and not clear it means anything we need on top of words like morality, which very much is presumed to have concrete meaning. I spend my time reading 3-6 books a month on security, technology, and society—and thinking about what might be coming next. It misleads a lot of people into thinking things like this. What’s the difference between nihilism and absurdism? Nihilism is the belief that not only is there no intrinsic meaning in the universe, but that it’s pointless to try to construct our own as a substitute. As mentioned by User in his/her answer here, nihilism essentially just deems everything as meaningless, and that all meaning should be removed. This is the absurd, the fact that we’re all living in a limbo of trying and failing to find importance in life, and nihilism. Camus said the only option we have in living, is to accept the absurd and death, but never to “agree to their terms”. Suicide (or, “escaping existence”):a solution in which a person ends one’s own life. Absurdity is the notion of contrast between two things. Philosophies including existentialism, absurdism, and nihilism are referenced in the characters’ behaviors and actions. As nouns the difference between absurdism and existentialism is that absurdism is (uncountable|philosophy) a philosophy which holds that the universe is chaotic and irrational and that any attempt to impose order will ultimately fail while existentialism is (philosophy|not countable) a twentieth-century philosophical movement emphasizing the uniqueness of each human existence in freely … /r/askphilosophy aims to provide serious, well-researched answers to philosophical questions. Explanations and my thoughts about the philosophies of existentialism, absurdism, and nihilism. For nihilists, the non-existenceof one thing does n… Cynics are doubters regarding people and organizations acting in any way other than their own self-interest. I think the difference between Camus absurd-ism- indeed existentialism in general , and nihilism lies in the subjective and objective divide. In absurdist philosophy, the Absurd arises out of the fundamental disharmony between the individual’s search for meaning and the meaninglessness of the universe. physics. Pessimists believe things are going to turn out badly and generally deteriorate, but they don’t need to be Nihilists to be that way. Nihilism is generally seen as a depressing philosophical stance. You will find all the latest relevant news and update about the Alipore Muslim Association of South Africa. Absurdism The idea of the absurd is a common theme in many existentialist works, particularly in Camus. Absurdism, a philosophy most attributed to Albert Camus, takes as central the absurd desire for humans to seek inherent value despite the meaninglessness of the world (nihilism). The Official Website of the Alipore Muslim Association of South Africa. How to use nihilism in a sentence. The chapter discusses moral nihilism and moral relativism, with some sympathy, especially to relativism. As does intrinsic value. 15.0k Cynicism, pessimism, and nihilism are often conflated, but for anyone looking to help people suffering from these ailments, it’s useful to break them apart. I think the difference between Camus absurd-ism- indeed existentialism in general , and nihilism lies in the subjective and objective divide. nihilism jumps to the conclusion of "nothing exists", and absurdism argues that existence is absurd (and thus the questions themselves must be absurd as well). These philosophies are mostly portrayed by Rick Sanchez because, as the smartest man in the universe with the largest possible scope of existence, he is aware of the individuals’ insignificance. There are many flavors of this belief, and they are commonly—but not necessarily—paired with hedonism, pessimism, and cynicism. Absurdity is the notion of contrast between two things. Is there any? The search itself is meaningful. It has its origins in the work of the 19th-century Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, who chose to confront the crisis that humans face with the Absurd by developing his own existentialist philosophy. For Taoism - Read Tao of Pooh For Absurdism - Read L'etranger The question you ask is like comparing an orange with choclate. Two prominent forms of nihilism are existential nihilism, which rejects claims that human life is meaningful, and moral nihilism, which rejects claims that human actions can be right or wrong.