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RobertLumley comments on Rationality Quotes July 2012 - Less Wrong
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I don't understand the quote. Under what definition of "nihilistic" does it make sense?
Wikipedia says:
Often true and valid. Agrees with the quote in that life has no purpose beyond itself - e.g. no supernatural gods.
Doesn't follow, and is false in any case. Unless one argues that all existing or even possible things are senseless and useless. Which would render these two words quite senseless and useless, in my view.
What is meant by 'nihilism' anyway?
I think "more nihilistic" is only meant to imply the progression of philosophical thought away from the dogmas of what "the purpose of life" was, which was for awhile, very broadly generalized, a progression from religion to nihilism.
I also think nihilistic was chosen because it is a trope that is is much more present in the cultural vernacular than other, more more philosophically precise words, like absurdist, which would be more accurate.
If I look at the Wikipedia one-line definition again, that seems to match:
...a sensible move away from religious, traditional values...
...which is branded by religionists as leading to thinking "existence is senseless and useless", although that's both empirically and logically wrong. This part is the 'meaning' of 'nihilism' in the vernacular, as you say.