Only three comments? And so many votes? And only 4 'no' votes? Why aren't people fighting about this for god's sake? This is really old and I doubt my comment even be read, but what the what...
I've got to say Patrick, it makes me really sad that you presume the failure to distinguish between nihilism and atheism is rooted in a misunderstanding of atheism. Most especially because you point directly to the way in which “real” atheists think and live (are atheist-nihilists real atheists?) anyhow, I think -- (I’m sorry, this is insulting but I don’t mean it as an insult) -- it implies your own lack of knowledge regarding nihilism, and perhaps, if I may, the way in which “real” nihilists think and live.
I’m not claiming expertise, but as this was listed as relevant to ‘Philosophy’ I think it’s appropriate to point out that the philosophers and thinkers who discerned the framework for, and developed, and taught and so on and so on nihilism, as it truly is, deserve the respect of a thinking people, no matter most people are not nihilists, most programmers don’t write in COBAL theses days and most modern theoretical physicists probably would regard their work as ‘Newtonian’… Anyway, point is I think a scholarly approach to nihilism reveals, if nothing else, that it does not deserve its association with whatever ways of thinking and living you so pointedly separated yourself from.
I agree, but most Atheists are nihilistic in their mindset they just don't recognize it as such.
"Nihilism is often more of a charge leveled against a particular idea, movement, or group, than it is an actual philosophical position to which someone overtly subscribes."
Technically I agree, but this claim sounds anti-nihilist so I'm throwing some support in the other direction because I like nihilism (in this sort of way: http://www.xkcd.com/167/)
Discussion (8)
Too Right
Nothing against nihilists, mind you.
Only three comments? And so many votes? And only 4 'no' votes? Why aren't people fighting about this for god's sake? This is really old and I doubt my comment even be read, but what the what...
I've got to say Patrick, it makes me really sad that you presume the failure to distinguish between nihilism and atheism is rooted in a misunderstanding of atheism. Most especially because you point directly to the way in which “real” atheists think and live (are atheist-nihilists real atheists?) anyhow, I think -- (I’m sorry, this is insulting but I don’t mean it as an insult) -- it implies your own lack of knowledge regarding nihilism, and perhaps, if I may, the way in which “real” nihilists think and live.
I’m not claiming expertise, but as this was listed as relevant to ‘Philosophy’ I think it’s appropriate to point out that the philosophers and thinkers who discerned the framework for, and developed, and taught and so on and so on nihilism, as it truly is, deserve the respect of a thinking people, no matter most people are not nihilists, most programmers don’t write in COBAL theses days and most modern theoretical physicists probably would regard their work as ‘Newtonian’… Anyway, point is I think a scholarly approach to nihilism reveals, if nothing else, that it does not deserve its association with whatever ways of thinking and living you so pointedly separated yourself from.
I agree, but most Atheists are nihilistic in their mindset they just don't recognize it as such.
"Nihilism is often more of a charge leveled against a particular idea, movement, or group, than it is an actual philosophical position to which someone overtly subscribes."
Technically I agree, but this claim sounds anti-nihilist so I'm throwing some support in the other direction because I like nihilism (in this sort of way: http://www.xkcd.com/167/)
Whoops, the closing parenthesis shouldn't be part of that link.
http://www.xkcd.com/167
The nihilists in The Big Lebowski give the squirrel-loving nihilists a bad wrap.
Bah, those pansies weren't *true* nihilists. "It's not fair!"