Believing in nothing, the act of questioning all forms of authority (government, religion, societal values)- is called Nihilism, and it is quite possibly the most pessimistic school of philosophy, originating from the 19th century in Russia.
How can nihilists reject all forms of authority, and basically anything that could serve as a mediator of the society we live in? Well, if one sees human beings as unimportant, why should any person have authority over another? What is the purpose of rules, if there isn’t such a thing as values? The club of authors indulging nihilism contain: Nietzsche, Schopenhauer and even Dostoevsky, who wrote: “If there is no God, everything is permitted.”
Moreover, the result of not believing in any authorities whatsoever, and considering the human existence as insignificant and pathetically meaningless ultimately leads to a lack of purpose in one’s life. Such an attitude defined by skepticism and pessimism can be truly damaging and has even lead to several acts of violence and extremism owing to the lack of belief in values of moral standards. However, this side of philosophy can have several advantages, such as ridding oneself of social anxiety, of the limits we impose onto ourselves through the moral standards we make up in order to fit into a society, the results of having such beliefs can also have pretty bad turnouts, as the ones mentioned up above. The disbelief in rules is almost certain to lead to outbursts, as each and every one of us would be given the freedom of doing whatever we want, however we want, regardless of the consequences. In other words, if nothing matters, who is to say that murder or theft is wrong?
Schopenhauer claimed that human beings are in a constant search of something they consider will make them happy, and this search never ends. Attaining said goals of happiness only leads to disappointment, and this ongoing search turns to a vicious cycle that is full of unreal promises. Taking this fact into consideration, the pursuit of happiness that motivates people to follow their dreams and work for their goals seems completely and utterly useless.
All things considered, nihilism represents the belief in nothing, the inexistence of moral values, rules or authority figures and ideologies. It is one of the most well-known schools of philosophy and has had a wide variety of representatives.
Article by Stefania Marta Irimia
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