Why Moral Nihilism is Problematic
Moral nihilism is cool and popular, but ultimately indefensible
Nihilism is the idea that nothing really matters. It has been associated with several other outlooks and views, and it typically has pessimistic connotations. Nihilism has often been associated with atheism, since theists often believe that the divine gives life its purpose and meaning. Theists often characterise atheists as nihilistic, because they think that without divine belief, atheists cannot possibly find true meaning or purpose.
However, many atheists do find meaning and purpose without theological beliefs. This means that one can be an atheist without being a nihilist. Nihilism has often also been considered liberating, since proponents of the idea think it untethers people from their everyday desires and commitments, when faced with what nihilists think to be the ultimate meaninglessness, randomness, and finitude, of human experience.
Granted, there are good reasons to think if one is an atheist or has occasional atheistic inclinations, that there is no higher purpose to life and that our existences are the results of random cosmic luck. However, that many people find justifiable purposes in their own lives should divert us away from a total nihilism, from the belief that nothing at all matters and that action should therefore be suspended. Moreover, there is a…
