How is atheism different from nihilism?

Answer 1

Personally, I see it like this:

Atheists... optimistic, no god, live well, have fun, experience joy....

Nihilism... pessimistic, no god, no purpose, no point.

Just my impression.

Answer 2

Nihilism (from the Latin nihil, nothing) is a philosophical position which argues that the world, especially past and current human existence, is without objective meaning, purpose, comprehensible truth, or essential value. Nihilists generally assert some or all of the following: there is no reasonable proof of the existence of a higher ruler or creator, a "true morality" is unknown, and secular ethics are impossible; therefore, life has no truth, and no action is known to be preferable to any other.[1] Nihilism is often associated with Friedrich Nietzsche, though Nietzsche explicitly repudiated it.

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. Movements such as Dadaism as well as Futurism[2] and deconstructionism,[3] among others, have been described by commentators as "nihilist" at various times in various contexts. Often this means or is meant to imply that the beliefs of the accuser are more substantial or truthful, whereas the beliefs of the accused are nihilistic, and thereby comparatively amount to nothing (or are simply claimed to be destructively amoralistic).

Nihilism is also a characteristic that has been ascribed to time periods: for example, Baudrillard and others have called postmodernity a nihilistic epoch,[4] and some Christian theologians and figures of authority have asserted that modernity[3] and postmodernity[5] represent the rejection of God, and therefore are nihilistic.

Answer 3

Atheism entails, minimally, the disbelief[1] in the existence of any deities.[2] It is contrasted with theism, the belief in a God or gods. Atheism is commonly defined as the positive belief that deities do not exist, or as the deliberate rejection of theism.[3][4][5] However, others define atheism as the simple absence of belief in deities[6][7][8] (cf. nontheism), thereby designating all agnostics, and people who have never heard of gods, such as newborn children, as atheists as well.[9][10] In recent years, some atheists have adopted the terms strong and weak atheism to clarify whether they consider their stance one of positive belief (strong atheism) or the mere absence of belief (weak atheism).[11][12][13]

Many self-described atheists share common skeptical concerns regarding supernatural claims, citing a lack of empirical evidence for the existence of deities. Other rationales for atheism range from the philosophical to the social to the historical. Although atheists tend toward secular philosophies such as humanism, rationalism, and naturalism, there is no one ideology or set of behaviors that all atheists adhere to.[14][15][16]

In Western culture, atheists are frequently assumed to be irreligious or non-spiritual.[17] However, some religious and spiritual beliefs, such as several forms of Buddhism, have been described by outside observers as conforming to the broader, negative definition of atheism due to their lack of any participating deities.[18][19] Atheism is also sometimes equated with antitheism (opposition to theism) or antireligion (opposition to religion), despite many atheists not holding such views.


Nihilism (from the Latin nihil, nothing) is a philosophical position which argues that the world, especially past and current human existence, is without objective meaning, purpose, comprehensible truth, or essential value. Nihilists generally assert some or all of the following: there is no reasonable proof of the existence of a higher ruler or creator, a "true morality" is unknown, and secular ethics are impossible; therefore, life has no truth, and no action is known to be preferable to any other.[1] Nihilism is often associated with Friedrich Nietzsche, though Nietzsche explicitly repudiated it.

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. Movements such as Dadaism as well as Futurism[2] and deconstructionism,[3] among others, have been described by commentators as "nihilist" at various times in various contexts. Often this means or is meant to imply that the beliefs of the accuser are more substantial or truthful, whereas the beliefs of the accused are nihilistic, and thereby comparatively amount to nothing (or are simply claimed to be destructively amoralistic).

Nihilism is also a characteristic that has been ascribed to time periods: for example, Baudrillard and others have called postmodernity a nihilistic epoch,[4] and some Christian theologians and figures of authority have asserted that modernity[3] and postmodernity[5] represent the rejection of God, and therefore are nihilistic.

Prominent philosophers who have written on the subject of nihilism include Friedrich Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger. Heidegger argued that the term "nihilism has a very specific meaning. What remains unquestioned and forgotten in metaphysics is being; and hence, it is nihilistic."

Answer 4

A nihilistic atheist is that prejudiced stereotype that close-minded theists have of atheists. But there are nihilistic theists too. You know, those people who are "angry at god" and hate life because of it.

The majority of atheists are well-adjusted people who love life, have a solid ethical/moral foundation based on empathy, and want to make the world a better place for the generations to come. Nihilism is not a part of our philosophy in any way whatsoever.

Answer 5

Atheism is 'not believing a god could even exist' ...
Nihilism is a 'philosophy' that says 'nothing is real' ... so they are 'sort of alike' because if 'nothing is real' then God couldn't be 'real' ... but one is a PHILOSOPHY and the other is a 'religion' (although most atheists would say it's NOT a 'religion' ... so maybe it's an 'anti-religion').

Answer 6

ni·hil·ism /ˈnaɪəˌlɪzəm, ˈni-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[nahy-uh-liz-uhm, nee-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. total rejection of established laws and institutions.
2. anarchy, terrorism, or other revolutionary activity.
3. total and absolute destructiveness, esp. toward the world at large and including oneself: the power-mad nihilism that marked Hitler's last years.
4. Philosophy.
a. an extreme form of skepticism: the denial of all real existence or the possibility of an objective basis for truth.
b. nothingness or nonexistence.
5. (sometimes initial capital letter) the principles of a Russian revolutionary group, active in the latter half of the 19th century, holding that existing social and political institutions must be destroyed in order to clear the way for a new state of society and employing extreme measures, including terrorism and assassination.
6. annihilation of the self, or the individual consciousness, esp. as an aspect of mystical experience.

Compare this to atheism:
a·the·ism /ˈeɪθiˌɪzəm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ey-thee-iz-uhm] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. the doctrine or belief that there is no God.
2. disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings.

Seems the difference is obvious...

However I'd argue that the definition of atheism used here is poor. Atheism at its most basic is an absence of belief in gods.

Answer 7

Atheism is the belief that god or gods do not exist.

Nihilism is the belief in nothing.

It is quite possible to have no belief in God and yet to believe quite strongly in other ideas or systems of belief. For example, Buddhists do not necessarily believe in God, but have a complex set of beliefs.

Answer 8

Nihilists believe that both religious and secular moral systems are without value. Atheists only reject religious moral systems.

Answer 9

Atheists only deny that God exists. That doesn't mean all atheists question existence itself.

Answer 10

We deny the existence of God. Nothing more than that.