Word of the Day: Nihilism

Nihilism is a doctrine. It defends that nothing can be really known or communicated. In other words, it is an extreme skepticism regarding knowledge and reality itself, and it can be equated with nothingness. Nihilism can also mean the rejection of all established religious values and morals. The adjective is nihilistic.

Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s presumed next president, criticized Russia’s “legal nihilism” and called for stepping up the fight against corruption, opening his campaign Tuesday with a careful speech before a Kremlin-organized forum. (USAToday.com)

The suspicion – hotly disputed by the deconstructionists – is that there is something nihilistic about the mode of inquiry precisely because of its tendency to dismantle all ideas, and with them moral principles and values. (NYTimes.com)

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2 Responses to “Word of the Day: Nihilism”

  1. Aminul Islam Sajib on September 29, 2009 6:45 pm

    I’m very, very, very happy that DWT is now publishing “Word of the Day” series posts every single day. I remember in an earlier post I requested Daniel to publish this kind of posts every single day.

    Thanks Daniel for keeping my request.

  2. Jason Arnett on September 30, 2009 2:55 am

    Nihilism is not an end. It is a beginning.

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