A Brief Christian Critique of Nihilism

A Brief Christian Critique of Nihilism 07/04/10

Nihilism, as propounded by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche and their contemporaries, is a position that is both logically inconsistent and impossible to live by, and thus ought to be discarded.

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(I originally wrote this article as an assignment for my introduction to Philosophy class. When I handed in this essay to my teacher, I had to omit numerous portions to save space and conform to my teacher’s standards. This is the original, unabridged version of the article, containing all of the words and citations that I originally used. Since this is only an introductory level essay, more experienced philosophers are bound to find it to be less than convincing. However, this should help to provide a springboard, from which I can further develop my views, not to mention help to inform those who have no prior knowledge on the topic in question.)

The philosophical doctrine of nihilism (from the Latin word “nihil,” meaning nothing), which was developed in the nineteenth century, is a position which claims that life is utterly bereft of meaning. We humans are nothing more than the chance products of millions of years of evolution. Arthur Schopenhauer, who was one of the leading proponents of nihilism, stated that “We can regard our life as a uselessly disturbing episode in the blissful repose of nothingness…” with the conclusion that “Human existence must be a kind of error.” In summary, nothing matters, and thus, life has no purpose, no direction, no truth, no goodness and no evil. There is nothing but the blind, pitiless indifference of the universe we live in. They assert that everything that we work for will be in vain and value as it will all be vaporized into cosmic dust someday, and we ourselves will eventually return to the dirt from whence we came.

At this point, the flaws in the nihilist perspective should begin to be apparent. First of all, as has been pointed out by other philosophers, if nothing matters, then nihilism does not matter.[2] And if it does not matter, then this position turns out upon close inspection to be illogical and self-defeating, as there is no point even postulating it in the first place. It is as modern English philosopher Roger Scruton wrote, ‘A writer who says that there are no truths, or that all truth is “merely negative”, is asking you not to believe him. So don’t.’[3]

In addition, by stating that our existence is “a kind of error,” Schopenhauer assumes categories that nihilism can not even account for. To say that existence (or anything else, for that matter) is a mistake is to presuppose that certain things are definitely right and wrong, and yet nihilism asserts that such metaphysical categories do not even exist. Even if they did, they can be neither known nor communicated.[4] If the nihilists are to be truly consistent, then they would not be able to provide any judgment as to whether life is an “error” or not. And by judging life as being an “error,” the nihilists are borrowing certain presuppositions from the theistic worldview which alone can account for objectivity as to what is and is not erroneous.

Finally, nihilism fails because one can not live consistently as a nihilist. Nihilists may proclaim to the skies all they want that there is nothing to life, but the simple fact is that none of them can live as though life is purposeless without losing sanity. Nobody demonstrates this better than Schopenhauer’s contemporary, the famous nineteenth century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche may have bought into Schopenhauer’s nihilism, but he realized that he can not live as though life had no meaning. His thought on this went as follows:

“If objective truth [is] dead, the only thing that could save us from the abyss… [is] to create our own meaning by a sheer act of willpower. We will ourselves into believing something that will give us meaning.”[5]

Nietzsche failed, of course. He had a mental breakdown and spent the final years of his life in an insane asylum. So it can now be concluded by this point that nihilism, as propounded by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche and their contemporaries, is a position that is both logically inconsistent and impossible to live by, and thus ought to be discarded.

There is only one alternative, and that is theism. To find a non-theistic position on the meaning of life simply will not work, as it’d lack any definite objective grounds for finding meaning or purpose, such that any meaning or purpose any given individual finds will just be that individual’s own flawed perception. Any such paradigm will inevitably reduce itself back to nihilism once followed to its logical conclusions, due to its lack of solid grounding. Only an infinite, transcendent creator (who must also necessarily be personal, since an impersonal deity would not care to give humanity any kind of purpose) such as believed in by theists can create humanity with a definite purpose and end in mind,[6] apart from which we are little more than glorified pond scum, doomed to drift from dust to dust and devoid of direction. The words of the great Saint Augustine ring true here when he says, “You [God] have made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you.”[7]

End Notes

  1. Paquette, Paul G., et al. Philosophy: Questions and Theories. p. 169.
  2. ibid., p. 169.
  3. Cited in Blanchard, John. Can We Be Good Without God?. p. 12.
  4. Paquette, et al. p. 249.
  5. West, John G. C.S. Lewis and the Materialist Menace.
  6. Paquette, et al. p. 170.
  7. Augustine. Confessions. p 21.

References

  • Augustine. Confessions (translated by R.S. Pine-Coffin). Penguin Books, 1961.
  • Blanchard, John. Can We Be Good Without God?. Darlington: Evangelical Press, 2007.
  • Paquette, Paul G., et al. Philosophy: Questions and Theories. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2003.
  • West, John G. C.S. Lewis and the Materialist Menace. Discovery Institute. July 15, 1996 (Accessed April 03, 2010), (http://www.discovery.org/a/458).

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  • noen

    "Nietzsche failed, of course. He had a mental breakdown and spent the final years of his life in an insane asylum. So it can now be concluded by this point that nihilism, as propounded by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche and their contemporaries, is a position that is both logically inconsistent and impossible to live by, and thus ought to be discarded."

    FALSE

    The claim is being made that Nietzsche failed to create meaning in his life and his failure caused him to suffer a mental breakdown and therefore nihilism ought to be discarded. You assume that Nietzsche's mental breakdown was caused by his failure to live up to his philosophy but the truth is that it was caused by syphilis from a brief encounter early in his life. So your claim that his Nihilism caused his mental condition is false.

    Not that I don't agree in general about nihilism.

  • noen

    "Nietzsche failed, of course. He had a mental breakdown and spent the final years of his life in an insane asylum. So it can now be concluded by this point that nihilism, as propounded by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche and their contemporaries, is a position that is both logically inconsistent and impossible to live by, and thus ought to be discarded."

    FALSE

    The claim is being made that Nietzsche failed to create meaning in his life and his failure caused him to suffer a mental breakdown and therefore nihilism ought to be discarded. You assume that Nietzsche's mental breakdown was caused by his failure to live up to his philosophy but the truth is that it was caused by syphilis from a brief encounter early in his life. So your claim that his Nihilism caused his mental condition is false.

    Not that I don't agree in general about nihilism.

  • Maryam S

    This is a very well written piece of debating, however i feel that your being very biased, nor do i disagree with your point of view. However you do need to take into consideration of the “belief” that atheists hold (it may sound as an oxymoron), many live by the nihilist belief and find much comfort in this belief, and lead perfectly normal, healthy, successful lives very consistently. When looking at certain theory such as this one, need not to find only the negative an the absolute absurdness of the text, however you need to conduct more research and put forth facts, only then can you prove your point even to the slightest degree. And also the claim that Nietzsche died because he could not live up to the standards of Nihilism, which is most certainly not proven, because he also suffered from syphilis. I’m sorry to say but you have also failed to provide your position on the belief of theism, a mere quote is certainly not enough, and your opinion. Even though to prove the theism belief is very difficult you need much more research variables, and credible sources, i also suggest not using too much opinionated responses because one person cannot really prove the meaning of life and God.

    keep in mind i am a strong theist my self, and this article is very strong in the sense of wording and holds no grammatical errors. However your article lacks credible research and sources, You always need to be unbiased and keep a very open mind and only then you will be taken seriously and credible. You also need to keep in mind that this is the internet and not homework- very important.

    keep in mind i do make much errors when i type and i apologize for that.

    Good luck and take care

    - Maryam (Sonia)

  • Maryam S

    This is a very well written piece of debating, however i feel that your being very biased, nor do i disagree with your point of view. However you do need to take into consideration of the “belief” that atheists hold (it may sound as an oxymoron), many live by the nihilist belief and find much comfort in this belief, and lead perfectly normal, healthy, successful lives very consistently. When looking at certain theory such as this one, need not to find only the negative an the absolute absurdness of the text, however you need to conduct more research and put forth facts, only then can you prove your point even to the slightest degree. And also the claim that Nietzsche died because he could not live up to the standards of Nihilism, which is most certainly not proven, because he also suffered from syphilis. I’m sorry to say but you have also failed to provide your position on the belief of theism, a mere quote is certainly not enough, and your opinion. Even though to prove the theism belief is very difficult you need much more research variables, and credible sources, i also suggest not using too much opinionated responses because one person cannot really prove the meaning of life and God.

    keep in mind i am a strong theist my self, and this article is very strong in the sense of wording and holds no grammatical errors. However your article lacks credible research and sources, You always need to be unbiased and keep a very open mind and only then you will be taken seriously and credible. You also need to keep in mind that this is the internet and not homework- very important.

    keep in mind i do make much errors when i type and i apologize for that.

    Good luck and take care

    - Maryam (Sonia)

  • http://epagonizesthai.blogspot.com/ Fisher

    Uhh, apparently the Syphilis theory isn't quite right:
    http://atheism.about.com/b/2006/08/25/nietzsches-…

    • noen

      Well the atheism article is hardly unbiased, the wikipedia entry is much better. I got my source from reading Walter Kaufman years ago. The wiki entry leaves the question open. However the claim that his philosophy cause his illness is absurd.

  • http://epagonizesthai.blogspot.com/ Fisher

    Uhh, apparently the Syphilis theory isn't quite right:
    http://atheism.about.com/b/2006/08/25/nietzsches-…

    • noen

      Well the atheism article is hardly unbiased, the wikipedia entry is much better. I got my source from reading Walter Kaufman years ago. The wiki entry leaves the question open. However the claim that his philosophy cause his illness is absurd.

  • lulz

    rofl
    thinking that because nihilism gives meaning to existence means meaning is intrinsic is where you fail. Just because you infer meaning from nihilism does not make that apart of reality.

    Ad hominem fail for the stupidy in associating the failure of nihilism in any way related to points made about nihilism. The arguments are irrespective to the individual.

    Triple fail for thinking that your failed proofs are then proof for theism. Even if the reality of nihilism and atheism to be shown false via empirical evidence against there assertions, it still wouldn't prove theism true.

    Nihilism and atheism are NULL hypothesis. They are positions where one starts and builds upon. Theism collapses into Atheism when theistic arguments are shown to be false. Nihilism is where one reverts to when moral claims are shown to be simple manifestations of a selfish ego.

    PS, fuck you with a rake.

  • lulz v2.0

    The most common objection to nihilism I see raised is that nihilism itself gives meaning to reality, therefore nihilism is false. This idiocy stems from an obvious solipsism. The point of nihilism is not to state that an acceptance of nihilism obliviates meaning in reality, but that the meaning that we find in reality is a manifestation of our own humanity. Irrespective of what we choose to believe, it does not change the fact that their is no moral phenomena in the universe, and that the things we engage in which we find purposeful do not necessitate a fundmanental purpose in any way, shape, or form. Nihilism is the reality outside of the senses. No amount of paradoxes or failure to understand this can change that instrinsic nature to the way things are. To say that nihilism is a paradox is to say that “I find meaning in nihilism, therefore meaning exists.” AKA, “I am a raging solipsist and can't see beyond my own fat nose”.

    Likewise, no amount of belief in any one religion makes that religion true, or changes the fact that we currently live in a reality with a God and definitly a reality without a shred of credible proof for theistic beliefs. No amount of faith will ever change that reality. Once again, an ignorance of solipsism, and an ignorance that the reality one perceives solely as a human being, lie at the heart of this self-deception. To think that our thoughts alone, or our experiences, dictate some fundamental fabric to the universe is to admit the obvious… “I am nothing but a vane gorilla without a fucking clue.”

  • Christopher

    I have to question your understanding of Nietzsche. He wasn't a nihilist. Yes, he talks about it but primarily as something that one needs to move beyond. Take, for instance, his story of Zarathustra: Zarathustra's enlightenment isn't an embrace of nihilism but a pushing through. As Nietzsche's madman proclaims, 'God is dead!' The bigger question for Nietzsche is, 'now what?' He throws scathing critiques of Paul (cf. The Antichrist), but primarily because he sees Paul as a nihilist and the one who has fist killed God!

    A second problem I see is that your 'detailed' critique doesn't engage at all with the source material. You cite from a HS philosophy text which has ties to Christian thinkers (i.e. Michael Horton), two people writing from within the purview of Christian thought, and a feel-good quote from Augustine. You need to find some damning evidence in Nietzsche or Schopenhauer, put that in context (i.e. don't just rip a sentence from their writing like you did with Augustine), and build an argument that engages with the people you're critiquing.

    I take it that since you're using a text meant for HS students, you're probably a HS senior or a university freshman. You have a very basic thought, but it needs a lot of work. I'm not sure that your critique will work in the long run, but you should still try…and be rigorous! Engage with the materials. You need to work on figuring what your critique is of (nihilism is not a lack of ethics/morality), finding a better response than 'Nietzsche went crazy, therefore he's wrong', and investigating if nihilism and theism are even on the same spectrum (as people like Thomas Altizer embrace both!).

  • Christopher

    I have to question your understanding of Nietzsche. He wasn't a nihilist. Yes, he talks about it but primarily as something that one needs to move beyond. Take, for instance, his story of Zarathustra: Zarathustra's enlightenment isn't an embrace of nihilism but a pushing through. As Nietzsche's madman proclaims, 'God is dead!' The bigger question for Nietzsche is, 'now what?' He throws scathing critiques of Paul (cf. The Antichrist), but primarily because he sees Paul as a nihilist and the one who has fist killed God!

    A second problem I see is that your 'detailed' critique doesn't engage at all with the source material. You cite from a HS philosophy text which has ties to Christian thinkers (i.e. Michael Horton), two people writing from within the purview of Christian thought, and a feel-good quote from Augustine. You need to find some damning evidence in Nietzsche or Schopenhauer, put that in context (i.e. don't just rip a sentence from their writing like you did with Augustine), and build an argument that engages with the people you're critiquing.

    I take it that since you're using a text meant for HS students, you're probably a HS senior or a university freshman. You have a very basic thought, but it needs a lot of work. I'm not sure that your critique will work in the long run, but you should still try…and be rigorous! Engage with the materials. You need to work on figuring what your critique is of (nihilism is not a lack of ethics/morality), finding a better response than 'Nietzsche went crazy, therefore he's wrong', and investigating if nihilism and theism are even on the same spectrum (as people like Thomas Altizer embrace both!).

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  • guest

    I think that reality is independent of what a person believes. That being said, claiming existential nihilism to be true is more realistic than Christianity or a god being true. Nihilism is paradoxical, but that does not mean it is false. A person claiming to be a nihilist is just being a realist. The person can not help the fact they were born into a world in which our intuitions about the world are usually wrong. For, example, life exists and Christians think this means a deity must have created them, because you know life makes no sense otherwise. Sorry, but you cannot just make things up as you go. 

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