Guest post by Ted Malloch author of Davos, Aspen and Yale
In a theatre of the absurd life becomes meaningless, ridiculous but also nihilistic.
The idea comes from the Latin for nihil or nothing.
Nihilism is a philosophy that says belief in all values is baseless.
Nothing can be known or communicated.
It leads to extreme pessimism and radical skepticism that condemns existence itself.
Believe in nothing.
Have no loyalty.
Love no one.
Define no purpose.
Destroy everything.
The BBC has just reported that a son has sued his parents for giving birth to him.
Should I say that again?
A 27-year-old Indian man is suing his parents because they brought him into the world “without his consent.”
Clearly, it is wrong to do so as life entails much suffering and that is unfair to the victims.
How such consent would be obtained is irrelevant, according to the native of Mumbai, because. “It was not our decision to be born.”
The belief expressed is rooted in what is a growing movement now called — Anti-Natalism.
That philosophy argues that all humans should immediately stop procreating because life is misery.
Environmental degradation from human fault dictates that we end the species.
By phasing out all human life on the planet, the earth could survive.
Animals would be happier. The ozone layer might continue.
There is no point to human existence; so ending pointless life would be a vast improvement.
Facebook now has a page called “Nihilanada”.
It deserves a look.
Messages like: “Isn’t forcing a child into this world and forcing it to have a career, kidnapping, and slavery?” abound.
Is this is what we have come to at the early stage of this 21st century?
Synonymous with Nietzsche’s apocalyptic views of civilization, such nihilism leads to a mood of doom and gloom, not to mention severe anger and terror.
Welcome to post-modernity and the politics and culture it entails.
The caustic strength of nihilism is absolute,
Nietzsche argued, “The highest values devalue themselves.“
The aim is lacking, and ‘Why’ finds no answer” (Will to Power).
Inevitably, nihilism exposes all cherished beliefs and sacrosanct truths as symptoms of a defective Western myth.
This collapse of meaning, relevance, and purpose will be the most destructive force in history, constituting a total assault on reality and nothing less than the greatest crisis of humanity.
No heaven.
No hell.
No right.
No wrong.
Ted Malloch is author of Davos, Aspen and Yale
