
We can distinguish between four main types of nihilism all of which share a similar characteristic, that being a general attitude of denial or negation of meaning. Since the time this novel was published, many writers and philosophers have espoused nihilistic views in a number of different areas, and hence there has also been a growth in the term’s ambiguity, so it will be helpful to clear up its meaning. Today the sense in which the term is used in Fathers and Sons would be considered a form of political nihilism – the rejection of the political norms and institutions of one’s day.

“ nihilist is a man who does not bow down before any authority, who does not take any principle on faith, whatever reverence that principle may be enshrined in.” ( Fathers and Sons, Ivan Turgenev) In the novel one of the main characters is asked what it means to be a nihilist, and he says: While the philosophical seeds of nihilism stretch back thousands of years, the term nihilism only began to see widespread use in the West in the mid-19th century.Ī novel published in 1862, by the Russian author Ivan Turgenev, titled Fathers and Sons is often pointed to as the work that spurred a growth in the popularity of the term.

#NIHILISTIC OPTIMISM HOW TO#
While in the subsequent lectures we will examine Nietzsche’s views regarding nihilism and his thoughts about how to overcome it. In this introductory lecture we will look at what nihilism means, its history, and its significance in Western Civilization. I n this series of lectures we will examine nihilism and the role it played in Nietzsche’s thought. Nietzsche’s views on nihilism are some of the most discussed by both those who study Nietzsche and those who study nihilism. The aim is lacking “why?” finds no answer.” ( The Will to Power, Friedrich Nietzsche)

“What does nihilism mean? That the highest values devaluate themselves. In 1887 Friedrich Nietzsche wrote what was to become one of his most famous passages: The following is a transcript of this video.
