From: max demian (oikoumenist@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Feb 28 2005 - 18:50:40 GMT
Howdy,
“Nihilism”
I think that it is important to follow this discussion with a boiled down
understanding of the term: nihilism is essentially “anti-foundationalism.”
Nietzsche’s philosophy (precluding the term) is a movement away from
foundational institutions such as Judeo-Christian ‘religion,’ science
(including scholarship in general), and metaphysical philosophy beginning
with Plato. I have understood that this subversive view of foundational
thinking by Nietzsche is by and large a ‘hyperbolic’ view of idealism.
He rebukes these foundations of western thought (religion, science and
philosophy) essentially because for him all knowledge is ‘created’ and
‘invented.’ For him, there is no original knowledge only interpretation,
which is subjective.
Anti-foundational thinking is by nature “subversive,” thus the term
‘nihilism.’ In many ways this view of nihilism is freeing. I believe
nihilism promotes aesthetic living rather than living according to set
ideologies. It is a shame that nihilism has been metonymically connected to
such sad and terrible ideas such as Nazism (and maybe, for some, ‘punk’
ideology).
I choose to believe this is nihilism.
Thanks, Max
(I want to apologize to Arlo. He responded to a post I made that I didn’t
respond to. I just started the first full time job I’ve had since 1994. What
a shock! Sometimes ‘life moves so fast I have trouble keeping track of it’.)
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