nihilism
nihilism — noun
1. a way of thinking that rejects the idea that life or the world has any meaning,
a way of thinking that rejects the idea that life or the world has any meaning, purpose, or moral truth, viewing traditional beliefs about right and wrong as having no real value.
Depressed for months, Hassan told his sister that life had no purpose, embracing nihilism.
collocation: embrace + nihilism
The teacher explained that nihilism rejects the idea that moral rules come from universal truth.
nihilism rejects + [idea/belief]
The novelist Iris called love a chemical reaction, and critics accused her of spreading nihilism.
A society without moral traditions may fall into nihilism, seeing no action as better than another.
The teenager went through a phase of nihilism, saying school and family rules were equally pointless.
- fatalism
Fatalism holds that events are predetermined, but does not deny that meaning or value exists — it only denies free will.
- skepticism
Skepticism questions whether we can know things for certain, but does not claim that nothing has meaning.
- cynicism
Cynicism doubts people's motives but often retains strong moral judgments; nihilism rejects moral judgment itself.
用法筆記
Frequently used in discussions of existentialism, postmodernism, and social criticism. Often confused with pessimism: a nihilist denies that meaning exists at all, while a pessimist merely expects bad outcomes.
常見錯誤
2. the philosophical view that nothing actually exists in a real or objective way,
the philosophical view that nothing actually exists in a real or objective way, and that what we think of as reality, including our own sense of self, is merely an illusion.
Buddhist teachings see the world as an illusion, but stop short of nihilism denying the self.
The philosopher said ontological nihilism defeats itself: if nothing is real, the claim cannot be true.
ontological nihilism (metaphysical sense)
In extreme nihilism, the patient felt her body and memories were shadows with no substance.
Élise found metaphysical nihilism terrifying, since it suggested that her closest relationships were illusions.
Xiu wondered whether theories about empty space led logically to a form of nihilism.
- realism
The view that the physical world and other minds exist independently of our perception.
用法筆記
Restricted almost entirely to academic philosophy. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 denies that values or meaning exist; sense 2 denies that reality itself exists.
常見錯誤
3. the belief that social and political systems are so hopelessly broken that destr
the belief that social and political systems are so hopelessly broken that destroying them is desirable simply for the sake of destruction, with no plan for what should come next.
Radicals turned to nihilism, planting bombs to prove the old order could fall, the historian said.
historical: 19th-century Russian nihilism
An activist argued for a nihilism rejecting all parties and elections as corrupt.
political nihilism (specific domain)
Critics warned the protest was drifting into nihilism, destroying buildings with no plan to replace them.
Piotr believed moderate reform pointless and that only destruction — pure nihilism — could bring change.
Officials blamed the attacks on a nihilism that pursued chaos for its own sake.
- anarchism
Anarchism seeks to abolish the state in order to build a free society; nihilism in this sense seeks only destruction without a constructive goal.
- radicalism
Radicalism demands deep structural change but usually has a vision for what should replace the old system; nihilism does not.
- reformism
The belief that change should come gradually through working within the existing system.
- gradualism
The approach of making slow, step-by-step improvements rather than destroying institutions entirely.
用法筆記
Primarily historical in reference (19th-century Russian revolutionaries) but also used in modern political commentary. The focus is on destruction of institutions rather than on a philosophical denial of meaning or reality.