Nihilism...is it practical?

Question

I enjoy Russian literature and history and have come accross numerous allusions to nihilist philosophy. Did nihilism ever pose a real threat to social / intellectual society in Russia (or anywhere else), and why was it looked on so negatively?

Is there a significant nihilst population today?

Answer 1

I'll get back to you on this. I'm reading a couple books on nihilism (not in Russian literature, but literature in general) and existentialism right now.

Have you read Nietzsche? God is dead? You'd like it.

No, I doubt that there's a significant nihilist population today anywhere, as the main religions followed by 80 percent of earth's population obviously oppose the idea that life and death are nothing and/or totally insignificant and that it doesn't even matter one way or another if a person is alive or dead. Nihilism was a sort of trend, like existentialism and Marxism.

You can read more about why nihilism might be sort of bad for making people want to kill themselves here:
http://www.iep.utm.edu/n/nihilism.htm

Answer 2

Is it practical for your mental well being to accept theories that render life absurd? Probably not, but nihilism is practical in the logical sense and some strong deductive arguments can be forged on a nihilistic basis.

Also, why would it be more practical to live life according to some faith-based guessing rather than to quest for logical truths? It may be depressing, but unless you accept ignorance as bliss, nihilism can be practical, I think.

Answer 3

You should read "The Outsider" by Colin Wilson and reassess your question. It will put things into perspective for you. It takes the nihilistic bent and places it into human reality.

It was seen negatively...because only outsiders displayed the traits of nihilistic behavior...that is to say, if you are not a conformist, you display traits of nihilism and that can lead....to individualism...which can lead to Werewolfism.

Answer 4

Yes there is. Nihilist is almost free man!