Friedrich Nietzsche, The German Philosopher

Friedrich Nietzsche, The German Philosopher
Tia Holenstein Professor Tevanyan RS 100 20 October 2015 Nietzsche and Agnosticism I chose to
conduct my research on Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher. One of the main reasons I
decided on him, is because of my personal beliefs. I am agnostic and Nietzsche's philosophy has an
atheistic view on religion, which I resonate with. Nietzsche was born in a small village in Germany
on October 15th 1844. He often spoke of an idea called "life–affirmation", which basically means
questioning everything honestly. He is one of the most famous philosophers and he had an
interesting look at philosophy. He believed philosophy was not "a critique of words by means of
other words" (untimely meditations) but it is a practical way to help your self grow, overcome and
become a greater person. By doing this one would be able to affirm life no matter what tragedies
you are faced with, "There are heights of the soul from which even tragedy ceases to look tragic"
(Beyond Good and Evil). He considered himself to be a teacher to these great individuals or the
higher man – his target audience. Inside the higher man there are different instincts/drives that are
forever battling making them a chaotic being. This results in suffering and possible self–
destruction. To reach life–affirmation one must take hold of this chaos inside of them. Because that
isn't an easy thing to do, a person might give in to a "Herd Instinct". The Herd instinct exists in
everyone and is easy to fall into. It is
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Crime And Punishment Nihilism
Since it became popularized in 1862, the concept of nihilism has since transformed itself multiple
times to create the assertion of nihilism today: "The world itself possesses no value, human
existence is ultimately meaningless, and knowledge claims are without foundation" (Hatab 91).
Therefore, to a nihilist, all values, relationships, authority, beliefs, and emotions are baseless and
empty. First popularized in 1862, nihilism is associated with a revolutionary movement that
occurred in Russia from 1814 to 1876, during which time Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote his
psychological thriller novel, Crime and Punishment. Although popular at the time the novel was
written, Dostoevsky demonstrates aversion to this philosophy and harshly criticizes it throughout ...
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Both Sonia and Porfiry are characterizations of good in the world, as Sonia is a "religious maniac"
and Porfiry is a police officer, both of which are contrary to Raskolnikov's character of a criminal.
The two work together to break down the Ubermensch in Raskolnikov by helping him redeem
himself through spiritual suffering. As Porfiry said, "suffering, Rodion Romanovich, is a great
thing... there is an idea in suffering" (Dostoevsky 348). This is also supported by Sonia's orders to
Raskolnikov to "Go, at once, this very minute, stand at the cross–roads, bow down, first kiss the
earth which you [Raskolnikov] have defiled and then bow down to all the world and say to all men
aloud, 'I am a murderer!' Then God will give you life again" (Dostoevsky 415). Sonia helps
Raskolnikov redeem himself by giving him unconditional love and compassion, and Porfiry helps
him redeem himself intellectually. The spiritual suffering that they push Raskolnikov to go through
is an important concept in Orthodox Christianity, which contrasts against the nihilist's beliefs that
religion is baseless and empty. Another religious aspect Sonia and Porfiry are connected by is the
biblical story of Lazarus. Raskolnikov, like Lazarus, 'died' as a result of his crime. While Christ
raised Lazarus from the dead in the story, Sonia and Porfiry play that role in Dostoevsky's novel. By
exposing Raskolnikov to redemption through religion, Sonia and Porfiry use their religious methods
to make Raskolnikov understand the error in his 'Napoleon Theory'. This is a denial of nihilism and
Nietzsche's Ubermensch, which results in the redemption of Raskolnikov's purpose in life. From
their actions, one can deduce that Porfiry and Sonia are altruists, but remain true to their altruistic
nature without contradiction. As nihilism is portrayed in a

Nietzsche And Platonism Essay examples
In Twilight of the Idols Nietzsche writes, "My objection against the whole of sociology in
England and France remains that it knows from experience only the forms of decay, and with perfect
innocence accepts its instincts of decay as the norm of sociological value–judgments. The decline of
life, the decrease in the power to organize, that is to tear open clefts, subordinate and super–ordinate
–– all this has been formulated as the ideal in contemporary sociology." (p 541). The culture
of Europe at the time of Nietzsche's writing was experiencing a general decline in vitality which was
exemplified in Christianity (Platonism) and anarchy or nihilism. Nietzsche saw himself as a kind of
philosophical doctor, capable of diagnosing ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Christian, Nietzsche claims, is similar to the nihilist. He denies the natural rank order of the
world in favor of an unrealistic vision of the equality of all souls. This rejection of super– and
subordination is a symptom of resentment against reality. It is the dissatisfied cry of the weak who,
instead of acting in accord with their own temperaments, revolt against nature and commit a kind of
arrogance against the world. These advocates of communal life thought that humans would enjoy
expanded freedom and happiness with the abolition of property, leadership, unequal social status
and privilege. But, Nietzsche points out, the complaints and desires of the Christian nihilist are the
complaints and desires of those who want revenge on a world that has denied them what they are too
weak to seize. "...there is a fine dose of revenge in every complaint." (p. 534). The
nihilist tries to find someone at fault for the suffering that he undergoes, and in this fault–finding is
exhibited the weakness of one who cannot simply move forward with his own life. The only
difference between the Christian and the nihilist is that the Christian finds fault in himself while the
nihilist finds fault in others.
A world full of Christians is a world in decline. Desiring release from suffering in the here and now,
Christians imagine the existence of illusory, utopian worlds beyond this one: the Christian Heaven,
or a Platonic "realm of

Nihilism In Mrs Dalloway
Virginia Woolf's outlook on life as expressed through the novel, "Mrs. Dalloway" is pessimistic and
even cynical. Both, the satirical parts of the novel and the serious and tragic parts of it convey this
pessimistic philosophy of life and nihilism. 'Mrs. Dalloway' is a representation of the post war
civilization. The outward façade of that civilization, its external glitter and brilliance, its pomp and
show, its social snobbery, its hypocrisy and its material achievements etc are all represented through
the life of Dalloways. Virginia Woolf has juxtaposed this zest for life and outward pretence with the
hollowness of mankind which is rotten within. So the novel generally portrays the concept of
'nihilism' through the spiritual death and emptiness of post war civilization.
The paper generally examines this notion of nothingness where values are baseless and no loyalties
exist in the world. As depicted in the novel, there is no as such concept of reliability exist within the
relationships of husbands and wives, for instance, Richard and Clarissa Dalloway or Septimus Smith
and Rezia; no strong bond exist between mother and daughter ( ... Show more content on
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These two lines pass through the consciousness of both Septimus and Clarissa. The lines indicate the
suicide to which Septimus has to resort in order to escape from his torment but it also indicates
Clarissa's death of soul. she lacks depth of feelings in comparison to Septimus and lived on
superficial plane. She gives parties to forget her spiritual emptiness for the time being. Both the
characters loved life and yet both understand the safety and release which death hold out to a person.
As said by Clarissa, "Death was defiance" (Woolf 163). It was a shelter from terror of loneliness as
well as protection from people like Dr. Bradshaw and Holmes. It was feeling of nothingness that
made Septimus suicide against his

The Lovesong Of J Alfred Prufrock And Preludes
The portrayal of alienation and existential nihilism inherent in modern life pervades T.S Eliot's
poems, therefore, directly resonating with Jeanette Winterson's perspective of the modernist writer.
By exploring the isolation of men and the futility of life in a modernised society through 'The Love
Song of J Alfred Prufrock' (1915) and 'Preludes' (1915), T.S Eliot questions the uncertainty of the
Modernistic lifestyle. Both these poems which are derived from T.S Eliot's historical and cultural
context in Post–war Europe, present aloofness and nihilism as manifestations of the superficiality
and pretensions of the modern urban environment. T.S Eliot's poetry has transformed the world of
modernist poetry and remains valued as contemporary society ... Show more content on
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In the poem, Prufrock believes that he has endured a monotonous life and constantly expresses his
discontent and restlessness. Prufrock emphasises on his discontent of what he perceived as the
emptiness and meaningless of modernistic life. During the WW1 era where society was saturated by
disillusionment and discontent, life was seen as unpromising and meaningless. This directly
correlates to the attitude of the poem, as Prufrock constantly relays the desolateness of his life. He
asserts his overall boredom and perceives life as futile when he states "I have measured my life with
coffee spoons". Through T.S Eliot's use of metaphor, Eliot refers to the mundane aspects of
Prufrock's life as the most significant moments of his life, which confronts responders with the
mendacity of their lives and reflects Eliot's perspective. Here, Eliot's nihilistic perspective of life
directly relates to Jeanette Winterson's critical perspective, stating that he was 'such a sensitive soul
that he was easily overwhelmed by impressions, by situations, by events, by people...he suffered
continually.' Winterson implicates that Eliot was a highly sensitive individual as such the
experiences he faced personally and those that others faced deeply affect him, therefore accounting
for his nihilistic view of life and humanity itself. Furthermore, T.S Eliot utilises repetition through,
"For I have known them all already, known them all–" to reinforce Prufrock's realisation of the
meaningless life he leads. The repetition of 'known them all', infers that Prufrock's life is absent of
intrinsic value and completely worthless as he has no more to offer. Prufrock surrenders to the
superficial, barren aspects of life and society, perceiving human existence as futile when he states he
'Shall wear the bottoms of my trousers

Movie Persistence
Persistence & Amorality: The Keys to Success
The film The Founder directed by John Lee Hancock is a business drama released in 2016 that
follows the rise of the McDonald's empire. The film's protagonist, Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) is a
struggling milkshake machine salesman, who happens upon a revolutionary "fast food" restaurant
during one of his deliveries. He recognizes the potential of McDonald's and strikes a deal with the
two brothers to franchise the company. As the film progresses, Kroc proves persistence is the key
factor to success, as he turns a roadside burger joint into an international multimillion dollar empire.
Ultimately, our capitalistic society and his persistence enabled the unprecedented rise of
McDonald's. Surprisingly, the film has a very serious and dark tone despite the subject matter. While
the film follows Kroc's ascension from struggling salesmen to business mogul which seems very
exciting, it's also a grim examination of society's values. During the film one has an unsettling
feeling as you watch Kroc succeed despite betraying the McDonald brothers, abandoning his wife
and forsaking all morals. Typically, films attempt to convey a moral message, so the audience can
learn from the mistakes of the character. Yet, at no point does Kroc experience an internal conflict or
enlightenment that demonstrates that integrity is more valuable than commercial success. In fact, it's
quite the opposite. Kroc's character development is almost reversed and he

Nietzsche Overcoming Nihilism Analysis
Friedrich Nietzsche: Overcoming Nihilism
The understanding of Friedrich Nietzsche's argument suggests that we can overcome nihilism.
Nihilism suggests that all values are untrue and nothing is justifiable, and Nietzsche believes one
can overcome it by "revaluating our values" (Nietzsche et al. 1887). From the following quote, I
understand that Nietzsche has two main arguments, one of which is a cultural debunking argument
which refers to a social selection and the other is a consequence–based argument which is the bad
consequences of us subscribing to the slave morality. Considering these two arguments, Nietzsche
notions that by devaluating our values, one could start seeking power and answers. One final
argument Nietzsche mentions is that we are all incomplete nihilists and we need to become complete
nihilists by creating our own values. All in all, Nietzsche claims that cultural debunking arguments,
consequence–based arguments and devaluating our values will help one overcome nihilism.
Firstly, by culturally debunking theories, Nietzsche believes we can find meaning in something that
is not already there. Nihilism states that existence has no "aim", "unity" or "truth" to it, making life
"valueless" as a result (1888). Nietzsche states that we have to put meaning into this fictitious world
and by doing so, we can deposit a true world beyond the world we're familiar with. In premise one
of the cultural debunking argument, Nietzsche states that society has a concern with

Moral Nihilism In The Unicorn
Introduction
Iris Murdoch (1919–1999), the Irish–British novelist, moralistandphilosopher, is an influential
figure in twentieth century European literature. Because
hernovelsconsistentlyintermingleartandethicalphilosophy, Murdoch is often considered as one of the
supporters of 'philosophy's turn to literature' (FlooraRuokonen 77). According to Murdoch, writing
fiction is essentially an ethical activity. Her fictions andphilosophicalessays are influenced by
Simone Weil, from whom she borrows the concept of "attention", and by Plato, under whose ''ethical
theory'' she claims to fight all that she considers to be the different forms of ''moral nihilism''
(Goodyer 217). Herdevelopmentoftheideaof "theGood" andthenecessityofleadingamorallife, capable
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Seeking a position as governess in "Gaze Castle", Marian Taylor arrives at an unnamed village.
Much of what she experiences upon arrival and her expectations regarding her likely adventures
indicate the standard plot of a Gothic novel with all its romantic implications in the manner of
Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Her decision to arrive at the place unannounced and her consequent
disappointment upon finding the situation unromantic, and herself "a spectacle" for the locals,
satirizes any such romanticizing tendency. Sharing Marian's anxieties and frustrations, the reader is
thus plunged into the Gothic interior of "Gaze Castle" to uncover its

Hamlet As A Nihilism
William Shakespeare 's Hamlet portrays as multitude of ideas, meanings and interpretations. In this
essay, I will focus on analyzing Hamlet through the post–modern existential lens of nihilism.
Nihilism has five main types; political, moral, epistemological, cosmic, and existential. Throughout
the course of the play, Hamlet shows many characteristics that showcase these principles , such as
apathy and despair. Hamlet is a nihilist character because through his actions of mania and despair
he shows that life is overall meaningless. He also has a lack of respect for authority and a rejection
of moral principles. Throughout the play, Hamlet shows a general disdain of authority figures In his
perspective they, mainly Claudius, do not ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Hamlet's wants and desires are completely out of joint with the atmosphere of Elsinore (Bloom).
Hamlet's desires do not follow the status quo of the rest of the people in the caste, or even that of his
time. This is because Hamlet has rejected typical principles and made his own. Moral nihilists refer
to ethical values as nothing more than what each individual gives bias or favor to (Carr). "Hamlet's
soul is an empty vase that gives place to nothing" (Cutrofello). Following his father's death, Hamlet
feels life has little meaning, he feels hopeless and believes there is no longer any thing good or
worth living for in life. As he describes in Act 1, " How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem to
me all the uses of this world... "Tis an unweeded garden..." (1:1, lines 136–139). In this line, Hamlet
is explaining that comparing life after his father's death to a garden that is overgrown and dead;
unweeded, flat and stale. "The last and deepest source only reveals itself at the point in which all our
foundations have been destroyed" (Carr). This quote expresses perfectly what Hamlet is feeling, he
lost one of the most important figures to him, which ultimately caused his madness and insanity
later in the play. The "source" that was revealed after his foundation, his father, was lost was
Hamlet's sense of mortality. Hamlet's sense of his own mortality can be seen at various points
through the play, for example, Hamlet expresses suicidal tendencies in a famous

Examples Of Overcoming Nihilism
Overcoming Nihilism according to Nietzsche
In this paper, I will explore Nietzsche's considerations towards nihilism and the philosopher's views
on overcoming it. My conclusion is that Nietzsche's strategy of overcoming nihilism is indeed viable
and a potential to be successful given the pragmatic nature of the individual. I will investigate
further on the reasons why this is the case. My assumptions in examples below are based on an
application of the Nietzsche's solution on a reasonably mentally stable individual.
First, let's assume Friedrich Nietzsche's definition of nihilism. According to Nietzsche:
1) "Every belief, every considering–something–true, is necessarily false because there simply is no
true world". "...That there is no truth, that there is no absolute nature of things nor a "thing–in–
itself." (Will to Power)
2) [Nihilism] "...places the value of things precisely in the lack of any reality corresponding to these
values and in their being merely a symptom of strength on the part of the value–positers, a
simplification for the sake of life." (Will to Power) Therefore, an individual must accept absolute
nihilism where there is no pre–determined higher meaning to life, no goals an individual is destined
to achieve and no social constructs to follow. Building upon this argument, Nietzsche elaborates in
Will to Power that "Nihilism is . . . not only the belief that everything deserves to perish; but one
actually puts one's shoulder to the plough; one destroys".

Nihilism And Existentialism: The Value Of Life
The value of your life isn't really something that can be measured. Some people consider your life
more valuable than others, and some don't. Your parents love you, and would trade everything they
own to save your life, but the majority of people wouldn't do the same. Although Your life may hold
more value to some humans than others, but how much is your life actually worth, and what gives
your life its value?
There are two main viewpoints that answer this question; Nihilism and Existentialism. Nihilism is
the idea that life itself is intrinsically, fundamentally and inherently meaningless. Existentialism, on
the other hand, is the belief that every human is born without a given meaning, and it's up to us to
figure out what gives our life that meaning. Furthermore, the idea that God gave you a
predetermined purpose is not a very popular one, among neither theists nor philosophers, so I'll only
be discussing these two viewpoints.
As humans, we strongly want to believe that our lives have meaning, because we are creatures who
need meaning, but we're abandoned in a universe full of meaninglessness; so we cry into the
wilderness, getting no response, but we keep crying anyways. Moreover, the answer to our cries for
meaning might come in the form of religion, being a good person, or just enjoying yourself.
However, to existentialists, there is no answer. We must create our own meaning. The main idea of
existentialism is that no human was born with a predetermined

Relativism And Moral Nihilism
As the weed of secularization continues to spread its roots through the belly of western civilization,
its critical that Christians properly discern its damaging effects on our society's sexual moral
compass. As a culture, it seems what is acceptable changes every few months with little reasoning or
clear logic. Confused, disoriented, and unable to draw a straight line between wrong and right, our
culture's moral compass is spinning. We are drifting off to sea in a ship commanded by drunk
captain, name Moral Relativism.
Moral relativism, collateral damage from secularization and postmodernism, looks past
Christianity's objectivism and appeals to the culture to govern its own sexual morality.
Acknowledging the failures of past generations, it demands that we are smarter, and wiser, than our
religious ancestors. Empirically, we have grown and evolved into a superior version of our species.
Even biology is incompetent and no longer able to accurately define our sexual identities and
genders. The doors are open wide for any interpretations of sexual expressions and identities to
stroll inside. Our inclusivity is now breeding with moral relativism to create a new monster, moral
nihilism.
Whereas you might have once been able to explain away how relativism and nihilism are entirely
different philosophical categories, that doesn't work now. The lines between them are now extremely
blurry; our drunk moral ship captain is unable to see where one begins and other ends. Without an
objective moral anchor, our society will be carried by every wave of worldly sinful passion. What
began as an attempt to be kind and "coexist" has malformed into an inclusivity that has no choice
but to allow whatever perversions may come. Without some level of sexual exclusivity, it loses
meaning and purpose; nihilism is born. We need to moral boundaries to preserve substance.
Humanity has always used exclusivity as way to maintain value and integrity. Something must be
rare for it to be of great worth. This is true for currency, jewelry, athletes, and consumer products. Its
simple supply and demand. If we have lots of something in a restrained fashion is becomes a
commodity and possess little intrinsic value. However, if an item is rare,

Examples Of Nihilism In Macbeth
A Look at Nihilism in Madame Bovary and Macbeth
Nihilism
Nihilism which comes from the Latin word, Nihil means nothing, to destroy completely, as seen in it
being the base of the annihilation. Nihilism is the idea that all beliefs and ideals are without
foundation and that nothing can truly be identified or known. "Every belief, every considering
something–true, is necessarily false because there is simply no true world" (Nietzsche). Nihilism
tends to be related to skepticism and pessimism by many people. A person who was truly a Nihilist
would have no desire or belief and anything, they would probably be led by a compulsion to destroy.
Nihilism is often associate with the Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche contended that
nihilism ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
After they got married she quit really speaking to him because she had gotten sick and is dying. So
now all he has is a quiet house and he is chained to a woman he does not love. The idea of marrying
someone you do not love is nihilistic. Ethan seems not to care about how any of his actions affect
Zeena. He spends that first bit of the novel being miserable and gloomy about his situation, but yet
he does nothing to change it. Instead he allows Zeena to control him, "There had never been
anything in her that one could appeal to; but as long as he could ignore and command he had
remained indifferent. Now she had mastered him and he abhorred her" (Wharton, et.al, 2009).
Instead he is stuck wallowing in past failures until he meets his wife's cousin Mattie and finds
himself having an affair with Mattie in an attempt to obtain the sense of love and passion that his
marriage lacks. Ethan hates liars and purposely hurting people but he has no compunction about
hurting Zeena because he does not seem to see her as a person, "Zeena herself, from an oppressive
reality, had faded into an insubstantial shade. All his life was lived in the sight and sound of Mattie
Silver, and he could no longer conceive of its being otherwise" (Wharton, et. Al, 2009). This leads to
tragic consequences when Ethan and Maggie attempt to commit suicide together. This causes Ethan
to walk with a limp and Mattie to become bed ridden and dependent on Zeena. "Ethan Frome" deals
with both Existential Nihilism, which I mentioned before in regards to how Ethan seems to view
Zeena as a non–entity and Ethical Nihilism. Ethan is having an emotional affair with Zeena's cousin,
which he has convinced himself is fine because Zeena is dying. Then he and Mattie decide that the
only way they can be together is to commit suicide, with Mattie putting her lips close against his ear
to

The Divine Command Theory And Moral Nihilism
The world is made of all types of people and all types of actions. Conservative, liberal, empathetic,
apathetic, introverted extroverted, etc, etc, etc. In a world where there is no shortage of choices and
options, the thought 'how do I decide' is a frequent one. While some of these traits may not be
choices, they influence the choices we do make. When playing with decision making the concept
that arises most is that of right and wrong. This concept is introduced to most people at a very young
age, it's intent to teach you the proper way to behave. But what would happen if right and wrong
didn't exist? Moral Nihilism would happen. Moral nihilism is the theory that there is no ethical truth,
and that right and wrong do not inherently exist. This theory addresses the fact that no ethical theory
can be proven in certainty, it is unbiased, and it is universal while still remaining flexible to the
individuals morals. While it does have its faults– It is the most rational theory. Because moral
nihilism believes that there is no ethical truth it avoids problems that many other theories face. The
Divine Command Theory and Cultural Relativism both have the same problem in that you can't
have two opposing ethical truths be right at the same time. The divine command theory holds the
belief that higher power, for example, God, makes the rules over what is and is not ethical. When it
comes to the divine command theory, there are religions all over the world with high powers, many
of

Resolving The Dilemma Of The Absurd
Amir Rezvani Mr. Pyle Period 6 AP Literature and Composition May 1, 2016 Resolving the
Dilemma of the Absurd The human tendency to seek meaning in life is invariably at odds with the
human inability to find any. How, then, should humans attempt to resolve this dissonance? In The
Stranger, Camus addresses this question by developing the character of Meursault, the novel's
narrator and protagonist (and, one could argue, anti–hero) who is sentenced to execution for killing
another man. At the start of the novel, Meursault merely feels indifferent about his bland existence
and the people and events around him. As the story progresses, however, Meursault transforms into
a man who understands the source of that indifference and who is able to not only realize that the
world lacks objective meaning, but, even more importantly, live freely in spite of that uncomfortable
truth. It is only after accepting his fate and the absurdity of the universe that he attains true freedom
and a state of serenity, in contrast with the dejected state of a suicidal nihilist and the anxious plight
of an individual searching for nonexistent meaning. Meursault's philosophical evolution dramatizes
the essence of Camus' contention that in order to surmount the dilemma of the absurd and achieve
freedom, one must recognize the objective meaninglessness of life and then proceed to create one's
own personal meaning by living in spite of this absurdity, while recognizing the artificial nature of
that

Essay on Nihilism in Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons
Nihilism in Turgenev's Fathers and Sons has several characters that hold strong views of the world.
For example, Pavel believes that Russia needs structure from such things as institution, religion, and
class hierarchy. On the other hand, Madame Odintzov views the world as simple so long as she
keeps it systematic and free from interference.
This commentary will focus on perhaps the most interesting and complex character in Fathers and
Sons: Bazarov.
Vladimir Nabakov writes that "Turgenev takes his creature [B] out of a self–imposed pattern and
places him in the normal world of chance." By examining Bazarov I will attempt to make sense of
this statement. Using nihilism as a starting point I am going look at Bazarov's views and ... Show
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"Everyone ought to educate himself" (105).
Since the indoctrination of established society begins with education, a nihilist should view
education from behind the barrel of a shotgun.
Logic is of no use Bazarov,
"You don't need logic, I suppose, to put a piece of bread in your mouth" (123).
The nihilist agenda, that is, the need for the destruction of structure is beyond logic and is as
necessary as eating or breathing. In addition Bazarov believes that what is preached by politicians
and so–called leaders is itself without logic.
"Aristocraticism, liberalism, progress, principles – think of it, what a lot of foreign words ... and
useless words!" (123).
It is easy for Bazarov to give no credence and thus negate the things which government deems
important in society. He sees irrelevance in much of what is said and done by leaders and Bazarov
believes that real issues are being avoided.
"We saw that our clever men, our so–called progressives and reformers never accomplished
anything, that we were concerning ourselves with a lot of nonsense, discussing art, unconscious
creative work, parliamentarianism, the bar, and the devil knows what, while all the time the real
question was getting daily bread to eat ... when our industrial enterprises come to grief solely for

want of honest man at the top" (126).
Bazarov's nihilistic nature is a product of the corruption he sees in the nation. Bazarov could choose
to live his life and pretend not

Shaun Nichols : How Psychoaths Threaten Moral Rationalism
I. Nichols, "How Psychopaths Threaten Moral Rationalism"
In Shaun Nichols' chapter, "How Psychopaths Threaten Moral Rationalism: Is it Irrational to be
Amoral?" Nichols attacks two views, which he refers to as the Conceptual Rationalist and the
Empirical Rationalist. He argues that while a Kantian approach to moral agency is appealing, due to
threats posed by psychopaths, it is implausible for an account of what constitutes moral agency.
The Conceptual Rationalist claim, as stated by Nichols, is that morality is conceptualized as though
moral requirements are requirements of reason. The problem psychopaths pose to this claim,
Nichols asserts, is that they can judge an action as something that is morally required, but they do
not feel ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Also, individuals with autism have been shown to lack this ability, yet we do not attribute with a
lack of moral judgement. The solution to understanding the differences between psychopaths,
autistic individuals, and normally developed individuals, Nichols asserts, lies in finding a deficit
present in psychopaths and not autistic individuals. Due to the non–rationalist explanation of lack of
responsiveness to harm of others in psychopaths, the evidence points towards a Humean account.
Thus, Nichols concludes that this deficiency is to be found in affective capacities.
II. Conclusion
One problem with these arguments provided by Kennett, McGeer, and Nichols, is that none
explicitly address why psychopaths are deemed amoral versus immoral. The term "rational
amoralist" is used by Nichols, but is not differentiated between what it means to be an immoralist.
Amorality is conceptualized as the inability to differentiate between right and wrong, whereas
immorality is conceptualized as knowing what is right versus wrong, but not being motivated to act
accordingly. Psychopaths, as described in each of the sources, seem to fit the idea of being immoral
rather than amoral in this way. They are capable of understanding the motivations and emotions of
others, but do not care to engage with others in such a way that is motivated by their well–being. It
may be the case that I have an incorrect interpretation of these ideas.

moralhod Morality in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness...
Morality in The Heart of Darkness
"I trust I shall be forgiven the discovery that all moral philosophy hitherto was boring and belonged
among the soporifics" (Nietzsche 561). Maybe so, but the issue of moral philosophy has been
discussed though out time and provides a significant element in Conrad's story Heart of Darkness. In
general, the timeless discussion traces back to the first philosophical writings of Plato and
transcends from general religious grounds to general applications and codes of behavior espoused
by Kant and Mills. These individuals and lines of thought try to establish a 'good' code of behavior
based on something: a benevolent god, extensible codes similar to The Golden Rule, or even
relativistic ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
His argument is basically this: if God is omnibenelovent, omniscient and omnipotent then either evil
does not exist, or, if it does, it is not really evil. Milton lays the groundwork definitions, aligning the
parties in his illustrative argument early. "If then his providence / Out of our evil to bring forth good,
Our labor must be to pervert that end, / and out of good still to find means of evil" (Milton I: 162–
165). The word 'his' refers to God and relates the word 'good' with him, and relates Satan to the word
'evil'. The justifications for these labels are more implied than anything else, based in the
relationship of the Christian God, and thus the Bible and the actions and motivations displayed by
Satan. He becomes tied to " ... deep malice to conceal, couched with revenge" (Milton IV: 123) and
"... ire envy and despair" (Milton IV: 115). Thus, good is implicitly the opposite of that: kindness
with forgiveness, pleasure and joy. Milton's argument follows a path of self–discovery, illustrates a
sympathetic character and describes his internal conflict and resulting horror of his situation. Mainly
that he cannot ask for forgiveness and is thus locked into downward spiral between the reality of the
situation, the expectations of his cohorts, and his own personal motivations. In the end, his actions

Nihilism According To Nietzsche
The nihilism analysis has been prevalent position over the past few years. Its anticipated purpose is
to demand questions about the norms made in a philosophical debate. These contain the notion that
one must actually suggest and preserve an idea in order to contextualize one's idea.
Tacitly, this philosophy, nihilism, seems new to most people and to philosophy as a whole.
Especially from a Western standpoint. But Nietzsche conducts an unapologetic attack on what
society has deemed as conformist morality. And at the end of the 19th Century (when he died) this
could have struck many as more progressive rather than conservative. Many during that time,
however, saw it as pure sacrilege. The entrenched on both sides have made it difficult ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
As a communications major, the focus should not be on the words themselves, but rather on the
more in–depth meaning of those words. Zarathustra says the coined phrase and follows up with,
"We have killed Him." In laymen's terms, the scientific certainty has made God archaic and
outdated. But really, there is an underlayment here. The underlying idea that it is not just God (this
supernatural icon in the sky) that is dead, but rather the idea that many of the absolutes that we
discussed previously have died. One specifically being morality. These outmoded morals cannot
direct the humans in a more intricate world/society. There are many discussions that have been had
about this phrase and what it could mean, but the most significant is that the value itself is
prospectively weak. Humans have transformed into this complicated being, and constrained by this
badness of morals. There is one woman who would argue in a Newsweek article that Nietzsche
through objective morality. Karen Armstrong of Newsweek states in the article History of God that
"...Nietzsche was right to say that human beings killed God. Even fundamentalists (whose faith is
essentially modern and innovative) bear to the fact that men and women can no longer be religious
in the same way as their ancestors. In the postmodern world, it was generally understood that while
reason was indispensable for mathematics, science, or politics. It could, not by itself give human
beings access to the divine. But the extraordinary success of scientific rationalism in the modern
world has made reason the only path to truth. We assume that God is an objective fact, like the atom,
whose existence can be proved empirically. When we find the demonstration unconvincing, we lose
faith. Our neglect of the esthetic of prayer, liturgy, and mythology has indeed killed our sense of the
divine." 1 Nietzsche labels this as a bit of

Egotism Mean To Me
Concerning the discussion of ethics that have resulted in the many schools of reasoning from
Egotism to Consequentialism, to the idea of the golden mean to me are simply the efforts of a
logical species to stop a descent into nihilism in a world that in truth does not work off of a system
of morality. Arguably the reason that we as humans focus so much on the concept is simply because
if the average person did not have a guiding system of morals society would not be able to exist, and
that society is the best way for our species to propagate, and as such those who have morality are
more likely to have descendants who they themselves are more likely to have morality, and so on.
Even babies and monkeys have a common idea of pack morality in ... Show more content on
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I personally believe that the greatest benefit to me, i.e the action that will do the most good for me
without harming me in some way at some later point, will be the best action for me to take.
However I do not do this often. For example, from my view of morality I would not have said the
last sentence for fear of the short term benefit of me gaining some happiness from explaining my
thought process immediately being overshadowed by the chance of being ostracized by those who
read this due to them considering me selfish and therefore my position in society lowering, or
simply receiving a lower grade due to the grader disagreeing with my conclusion, which has
happened before in the past. Personally I do not know why I decided to write this despite what I
know to be the better option. Perhaps I'm gambling on the idea that honesty will result in a higher
social position and cancel out the consequence, or perhaps I'm acting on the nihilistic view that it
doesn't really matter in the long run and it's better to just air my grievances and thoughts than to lie
in order to conserve social standing, perhaps it is simply in my nature. Most likely the latter. People
usually have this internal struggle when doing things, be it consciously or subconsciously and all of
their actions are determined by a complex weighting scale of what is and isn't important to them, the
balance of said scale determining their actions. I find it interesting that this internal struggle happens
almost entirely without constant input in most cases. Meaning that odds are morality evolved before
constant thought. Which is funny

Samuel Beckett 's Waiting For Godot, Endgame, And Not I
To many people life is a continuous search for purpose and meaning in a chaotic and uncaring
world, and to the playwright Samuel Beckett it is no different. In the works Waiting for Godot,
Endgame, and Not I, Samuel Beckett uses elements of nihilism, pessimism, and absurdity to find
humor in day–to–day existence, as well as the relationships between the self and others. Before one
can analyze Beckett's work, one must first understand the meanings of nihilism, pessimism, and
absurdity in regard to Beckett himself.
Nihilism is a term often attributed to inaction, immorality, and pointlessness. The Merriam–Webster
Dictionary defines the term as "a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and
that existence is senseless and useless" (Nihilism). That being said, nihilism is not a support of
immoral actions but rather a belief that the concept of morality is without logical standing. This
understanding of nihilism will make itself more apparent when analyzing Waiting for Godot.
Pessimism is another term commonly associated with a bleak and demoralized perception of reality.
Its true definition is not far off from this association, described as "An inclination to emphasize
adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome" (Pessimism).
Beckett's Endgame and Not I are works which provide many examples of Pessimism.
In contrast to the previous terms, absurdity or rather, the absurd, carries a correlation to humor,
silliness,

Theme Of Nostalgia In No Country For Old Men
No Country for Old Men is a novel that revolves heavily around the theme of nihilism and nostalgia.
Main characters, Sheriff Bell and Anton Chigurh represent this immensely throughout the novel.
Nihilism is a philosophy that emphasizes on the idea that all values are baseless and life is
meaningless. Nostalgia is a sentimental yearning affection for the past. In the novel, Anton Chigurh
represents nihilism and Sheriff Bell represents nostalgia. As conveyed in the title, there is no longer
a place for "old men" and old values in the new world. Sheriff Bell has fallen into a trap of nostalgia
and idealizing the past while rejecting the present. Anton Chigurh, on the other hand, is an active
nihilist in the new world.
Throughout the novel, Sheriff Bell, the protagonist, continually considers the contrast between old
ways and the new ways. He holds to a nostalgic view of the past, reminiscing about a time where
order and just ruled. He talks about a time where police officers didn't need to carry guns and knew
the people of their communities and kids were safe at school and on track to become good citizens.
The senseless violence he encounters, however, leads him to believe that the country is heading
toward havoc. He says that he "thought [he'd] never seen a person like that and it got [him] to
wonderin if maybe [the boy] was some new kind" (McCarthy 2) and that the new kind has " another
view of the world out there and other eyes to see it and that's where this is goin" (McCarthy 2).
Anton Chigurh, the antagonist of the novel, is the embodiment of this "new kind". He is perceived
as a personification of evil. Chigurh lacks any trace of empathy and operates solely to fulfill his
personal aspirations. Throughout the novel, he has shown disregard for law and the value of human
life. He embodies this through many things, including with the use of one of his weapons to kill
people, a bolt gun, a tool used to slaughter cattle. He used this weapon to kill a man and steal his car.
He used the weapon to avoid the law, being that he would not be traced caught by the cops because
he is leaving nothing behind. Chigurh other weapon of choice he arms himself with is a Remington
semi–auto shotgun, which he used to kill

What Makes A Worldview?
A worldview is the philosophy or belief of an individual in regards to how he or she answers the
following: what prime reality is, who or what created humans and the universe (if they were even
created), what makes someone a human, where do humans go when they die (if they go anywhere),
what the purpose of a human is, if Truth is something that exists, and what morality should be (how
humans should act & what is good or evil) (Vidal 2). There are several types of worldviews that
people have trust in such as naturalism, theism, postmodernism, nihilism, etc. These worldviews
divide the entire world, separating one culture from another. A worldview can be so complex that it
creates cultures and belief systems within itself. As an example, the worldview of theism is found in
the Christian and Islamic cultures, to of the predominant religions in the world (Bellaimey). While
both religions believe in the same God, each religion has different sets of convictions and
commandments both physically and spiritually: Christians and Muslims dress differently according
to their beliefs, ultimately to obey their God; they worship differently as well. Another religion that
is dissimilar from the ones previously mentioned is Hinduism, a religion mostly practiced in South
Asian countries such as India and Nepal (Das 1). Hindus are polytheistic and worship several
diverse gods and deities. Cultural disparity does not only occur in the theism worldview: it can
occur in any worldview. A country

Crime And Punishment By Fyodor Dostoevsky
A paragon of realist literature, Fyodor Dostoevsky deftly exposes nihilism in his novel, Crime and
Punishment, published in 1866. Its protagonist, Rodion Raskolnikov, is intelligent yet bitter and
unfeeling, having denounced his morality and bonds with society. He embodies the qualities of
nihilism, the desertion of all emotional and ethical concerns. This philosophical doctrine is
historically ubiquitous, particularly with the Nihilist Movement, one of Imperial Russia's Great
Reforms, and the growing apostasy and atheism of postmodernity; both instances aptly highlight the
abandonment of virtue, individual and societal.
Raskolnikov is an impoverished ex–student living in St. Petersburg, the grimy, plagued, and
urbanized capital of the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Raskolnikov summarizes, "An extraordinary man has the right...to overstep...certain obstacles, and
only in case it is essential for the practical fulfillment of his idea (sometimes, perhaps, to the benefit
to the whole of humanity)" (Dostoevsky 226).
Raskolnikov murders the pawnbroker, because he wants to prove his experiment correct, that he can
effectively transcend the law for a higher purpose. Understandably, Porfiry inquires, "What if some
man or youth imagines that he is a Lycurgus or Mahomet – and suppose he begins to remove all
obstacles...he has some great enterprise before him and needs money...and tries to get it"
(Dostoevsky 230). Raskolnikov is precisely the figure Porfiry is describing; he imagines himself to
be of equal status to 'extraordinary men', such as Napoleon, Machiavelli, and King Solomon. The
cruel method which Raskolnikov employs to fulfill his "great enterprise" demonstrates nihilism.
After Raskolnikov realizes his crimes served no 'higher purpose', he is extracted from his delirium at
last. "Everything takes on a new physiognomy, and a new meaning to him...his whole soul is
metamorphosed and in constant discord with the life around him" (Melchior); consequently, he
becomes more accepting of relationships, which he so ardently avoided before. He is quickly
enamored with Sonia Marmeladov. After hearing his confession, she "is terrified at his self–
abasement...[and] begs him to rise"

Why Is Nietzsche God Is Not Dead
God's not dead and we did not kill him, Nietzsche did. Nietzsche comes up with a claim that God is
dead. He supports this claim by describing a madman frantically running around town looking for an
honest person, he is looking for God. Their responses are laughter assuming the man is crazy. The
madman eventually comes to the conclusion that humanity is unaware of the death of God and its
significance. The significance will take time to reach the people. Nietzsche's way of saying God is
dead is a way of claiming freedom over his own life and trying to bandwagon others on to it. He
feels the need to not have to obey any higher authority and in this he starts a movement of free will
and justifies it by attempting to bring other people along with him. While Nietzsche can make
convincing claims about the death of God, God is not dead. ... Show more content on
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Well from Nietzsche's stand point God being dead means there are no longer any moral values that
we would need to follow. Humanity has turned away from obedience and has started to find its own
way in life. We no longer need someone to look to or to put our hope in. He even makes the point
that the believers are living as if God is dead. But are they really believers if they aren't following
the practices? Nietzsche brings a sense of freedom into the equation, "Indeed, at hearing the news
'old god is dead', we philosophers and 'free spirits' feel illuminated by a new dawn; our heart
overflows with gratitude, amazement, forebodings, expectation– finally the horizon seems clear
again, even if not bright; finally our ships may set out again..." Nietzsche isn't arguing that God is
dead and for atheism, he is arguing from it. It is taken as a starting point, not a destination. He isn't
trying to show us God doesn't exist; he is simply saying God can't be taken seriously because of the
chaos in the

The Movie ' Pulp Fiction '
Pulp Fiction, a film where every 1950's pop culture icon is on display from Zorro to Buddy Holly.
Quentin Tarantino 's 1994, Pulp Fiction, went on to win an Oscar for best original screenplay, and
gained a cult following. This report will examine the film 's relationship with Nihilist theory. The
film is centered around Jules Winnfiel's [Samuel L. Jackson] transformation, from someone with no
sense of what to believe in, to someone who experiences 'Divine intervention' and rethinks his
system of values, which is a prominent idea expressed in Nihilist doctrines. Jules is the vessel in
which Tarantino uses to exhibit Nihilistic theory in the film. This report will be on how the film is
centered around the struggle to find an sustainable objective framework , that can judge morals and
beliefs, through Jules Winnfield. Which is a fundamental conjecture in regards to Nihilism .
Nihilism, a philosophy in which the doctrine itself implies that all values and beliefs are
meaningless, this ideology is defined by the internet encyclopedia of philosophy as: "the belief that
all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with
extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism that condemns existence."[2] Nihilistic theory is often
associated with German Philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, who popularized the idea that Nihilism is
a widespread phenomenon of western culture in the 1880's. The concept of Nihilism is that rather
than meaning, all

Essay on Two Brands of Nihilism
Two Brands of Nihilism
As philosopher and poet Nietzsche's work is not easily conformable to the traditional schools of
thought within philosophy. However, an unmistakable concern with the role of religion and values
penetrates much of his work.
Contrary to the tradition before him, Nietzsche launches vicious diatribes against Christianity and
the dualistic philosophies he finds essentially life denying. Despite his early tutelage under the
influence of Schopenhauer's philosophy, Nietzsche later philosophy indicates a refusal to cast
existence as embroiled in pessimism but, instead, as that which should be affirmed, even in the face
of bad fortune. This essay will study in further detail Nietzsche view of Schopenhauer and ... Show
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Good and evil are not the approbation or prohibition against certain actions, rather, such doctrine
codifies self hatred and begs the rejection of "human nature". Christianity goes beyond a denial of
just the flesh and blood of the body to do away with the whole of the world. In
Twilight of the Idols, Nietzsche suggests in several places, that the world is falsified when dictated
by the tenets of dualistic philosophies, with emphasis on Christianity.
How the "True World" Finally Became Fable, a section in Twilight of the Idols, is subtitled "The
History of an Error", for it supposes to give a short rendering of how the "true world" is lost in the
histories of disfiguring philosophies that posit otherworldly dualistic metaphysics. First, Plato's
vision of the realm of forms. "The true world – attainable for the sage, the pious, the virtuous
man...", a feasible world, achievable through piety and wisdom.
A world a man may come to know, at least possible for the contemplative and diligent student.In this
early imagining the world is not entirely lost yet, it is however, removed from the "concrete" world.
A world hardly accessible but by the few who might escape the cave.
The first realization of nihilism is the denial of the sensuous world for the really real. The idea of the
true world removed is then characterized as the
Christian world."The

Theme Of Nihilism In The Stranger
Introduction:Albert Camus was a French novelist, essayist, dramatist regarded as one of the finest
philosophical writers of modern France. He earned a worldwide reputation as a novelist and essayist
and won the Nobel Prize for literature. He became the leading moral voice of his generation during
the 1950's. One of the greatest modern writers, he expresses the moral concerns of 20th century. His
writings describe the contemporary feeling that life has no ultimate meaning beyond immediate
experience and explores the various philosophical schools of thought such as absurdism, nihilism
and existentialism. In this paper, we trace the evolution of the protagonist Meursault as a nihilist in
Albert Camus' The Stranger.
Nihilism is literally the belief ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Moral nihilism, also known as ethical nihilism says that no action is necessarily preferable to any
other. A moral nihilist would say that killing someone for whatever reason is not inherently wrong or
right. Meursault has the same idea. He senselessly murders his friend's enemy and when asked
whether he regrets the action, he merely replies that he felt annoyed. He does not find his action to
be wrong instead he shows an attitude that people do not matter dead or alive and that even a cold–
blooded murder is free from the shackles of wrong or right. In the possession of his friends' revolver,
Meursault is suddenly afflicted by the physically unbearable weather. The searing sun and bright
sand cause a burning sweat in his eyes. At the moment of utmost vexation the Arab reveals a knife
whose glaring shine in Meursault's face prompts him to pull the trigger and shatter the harmony of
the day. With the Arab dead, Meursault indifferently fires four more rounds at the motionless body,
which he describes as "knocking four quick times on the door of unhappiness"

Moral Nihilism: Lord Of The Flies
Xana Coffey Kosloski 23 May, 2018 Golding's View on Humanity as Portrayed by Lord of the Flies
Moral nihilism is defined by Wikipedia as "the meta–ethical view that nothing is morally right or
wrong". Arguably one of the more famous moral nihilists would include Sir William Golding, who
believes that humans are innately cruel and are bound by laws to keep order, therefore no action is
morally right nor wrong. His 1954 novel Lord of the Flies demonstrates this idea through intricate
and precisely executed symbolism throughout the tale, using characters and objects to represent his
beliefs. The book's plot is centered around the relationship between Ralph, who symbolizes
civilization, and Jack, who represents primitivity. While Ralph wishes ... Show more content on
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In fact, the first few words of the book describe Ralph as "the boy with fair hair". Ralph touches his
"fair hair" a total of 12 times throughout the book, often before or after taking on his given role as
the representative of humanity. Later on in the book, Ralph's (as well as the rest of the boys') hair
becomes long and often obstructs his vision, and is described to be pushed back whenever clarity or
thought is needed. The boys' hair grows dirtier and sandier the more time they spend on the island,
and is even described as "idiot", particularly to show their growth towards malice while on the
island. At one point, Piggy, the character symbolising rational and logical thought, suggests they
should tie their long and dirty hair back and is rejected, alluding to the fact that the boys no longer
care for their ability to "see" things, or to make informed decisions, and would rather act out blindly
and viciously as their instincts instruct. Piggy is also the only character to be described to have his
hair "seem to not grow" due to his position of rationality on the island and refusal to descend into
the same primal state as his peers. Another important detail to note about the boys' hair is the color
and style they are. Often times, miniscule details about hair are trivial in books and are often left to
the reader's imagination, but

Nietzsche's Loss Of The Power Of God
"God is dead." This is perhaps one of the most famous quotes in the history of philosophy. It has
been subject to many interpretations and in this essay, one of these interpretations is going to be
explored. "God is dead" means that the source of man's guidance through life, which is "God," has
lost its power. This loss of power of "God" will impact society from its foundation to its apex. This
is because as the old structure, which is dependent on "God" collapses, what will fill the void left by
Santa Claus? What is man supposed to do then, other than following a moral code that has been the
norm for ages? What will fill that void? All of these are questions that arise out of the fear of the
void left by God upon the heart of man. Must man then become ... Show more content on
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As it seems, humans will always need something to follow that is outside of themselves. From the
Nietzschean point of view, instead of looking outward for guidance, we must look inward and
become the driving force of our lives through lived experience and this is what makes Nietzsche an
existentialist.
"What I relate is the history of the next two centuries. I describe what is coming, what can no longer
come differently: the advent of nihilism. . . . For some time now our whole European culture has
been moving as toward a catastrophe." This quote is projecting the consequences of "God's" death
and not long after Nietzsche's time, what he predicted had come to pass. Furthermore, The "Death of
God" has two possible implications. In the short run, the consequences will not be pleasant, but in
the long term, they will be. The projected short–term implication of this is the rise of Nihilism.
Described as ambiguous by Nietzsche, nihilism is an outlook on life that sees life as meaningless.
The problem with nihilism is that it still relies on the void left by the external source of direction
even though the idea of "God" that once governed it is dead. For this reason, nihilism is ambiguous
because

Characters And Nihilism In The Novel's Fathers And Sons
In the novel, "Fathers and Sons", the character Bazarov is known to be a self–confident, and
intelligent doctor who's known to leave a few great impressions behind when interacting with his
fellow characters large and small, like Fenichka and the lower–classman people. However, as nice
as he may seem, I do not believe that the story intends Bazarov to be the protagonist, but rather the
antagonist. His belief of nihilism, the rejection of all religious and moral principles, is one of the
reasons why he is shown as an antagonist. Following that, is how he rudely carries out his own
opinions to others, but then later on, turns out to be a hypocritic of his own teachings ; making him
very displeasing to the audience to read. So although some may argue that Bazarov is a hero,
because of lighter traits, I would have to disagree because of his belief of nihilism, how he carries it
out to people and later turning himself into a hypocritic, making the novel play against Bazarov
rather than for him.
In the beginning of the story, Bazarov was known as a"great friend" to Arkady, and for a short lived
time, he was not wrong. Bazarov was written with attractive figures for an antagonist, physically
and non physical. Typically, an antagonist is seen as evil and ugly from the inside to out, but
Bazarov was the exact opposite. "A calm smile,(looks of ) self–confident and intelligent (3)", with
the education of a doctor as well as his father, and "had a special capacity for

Comparing Arkady's Fathers And Children
In the novel Fathers and Children by Ivan Turgenev, the young university graduate Arkady Petrovich
attempts to find his place within his generation and to distinguish himself from the old aristocratic
Russian ways of the generation of his father, Nikolai Petrovich. At the beginning of the novel,
Arkady follows his friend, Yevgeny Bazarov, and the ideology of nihilism. Nihilism is a philosophy
that rejects all social practices, principles, and rules. As a nihilist, Arkady believes that its practice is
the way he and his generation can succeed in bringing about changes and progress in their Russian
society. Like most adolescents, Arkady struggles to discover how he can influence the world around
him with modern ideas and eliminate the errors ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
40) of Bazarov. He considers Bazarov the teacher and master of nihilism and himself the student.
Arkady always seems to say that nihilists believe certain things and that Bazarov states particular
facts, yet Arkady gives the impression that he struggles to embrace these same convictions deep
inside of himself. Arkady accepts nihilism to fit in with his generation and to gain the respect and
friendship of Bazarov. Arkady never proclaims his own conviction in nihilism as undeniably as
Bazarov. As the novel develops and Arkady and Bazarov travel together, Arkady matures to become
his own individual. Arkady eventually decides to reject Bazarov and the falseness of his principles.
This is evident when Arkady shows his appreciation for music and when he defends his father and
his uncle to Bazarov when Bazarov criticizes their aristocratic ways and romanticism. Ultimately,
Arkady's complete growth into his own individual self is seen when he decides to renounce a life
without emotion and tradition that Bazarov preached. Arkady breaks free of Bazarov's spell and
shows that he holds the same values as his father when he falls in love with Katya. Katya reminds
Arkady of his love of music when she plays the piano for him and he is awakened to see that these
emotions fulfill

Analysis Of Mary Shelley 's ' Frankenstein '
Shelley addresses romantic conventions in Victor to convey his loss of identity. Victor is impatient
and restless when constructing the creation, so much, that he does not think about it's future
repercussions. One of the great paradoxes that Shelley's novel depicts is giving the monster more
human attributes than to it's creator [p. 6 – Interpretations]. This is true as the monster seeks an
emotional bond, but Victor is terrified of it's existence. The monster later reveals, "I, the miserable
and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurred at and kicked and trampled on [Shelley, p. 224]."
Victor's lack of compassion is rooted from the inability to cope with his reality. He distances himself
from others and is induced with fainting spells [Shelley, p. 59]. From this, the nameless creature
exemplifies Victor's attempt to abandon his creation to escape his responsibilities. His creation is
described as, 'wretched devil' and 'abhorred monster,' eliciting that the unobtainable, pitied identity
[Shelley, p. 102]. The act of not naming the creature reveals Victor as hateful, and unnaturally
disconnected to his own created victim. The critique of Victor's carelessness mirrors the new
technologies that humanity tries to innovate upon society. Shelley reflects on the demise in the
progression of humanity because this will only further remove us from our compassion and identity
[p. 266– Mary Shelley bio]. Thus, science in Shelley's novel offers no hope, only death for both
mankind

Nietzsche Nihilism
The 1859 publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species had dramatic consequences, among them
the creation of doubt about God's place in a world where species independently evolve and
continually change. Darwin had not merely questioned God; he had shaken one of the core Christian
beliefs: that God had created a flawless and unchanging earth. When Darwin's ideas were not
scientifically disproven, the basis of Christianity itself was called into question. That questioning
continued as scientific discovery advanced. The traditional view and place of God became less and
less applicable to modern life, triggering an onset of nihilism in many as the foundations of their
lives were chipped away by scientific progress. Scholars and ... Show more content on
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Gooding–Williams identifies two essential reasons for this "desertifying" effect of Christian–
Platonic values on life. First, "they identify as wrong or sinful" certain aspects of human life that
Nietzsche thinks are vital (34). For example, this vaue system discourages willing and value–
creation by claiming all authority in those areas. As a result, these instincts are repressed in humans,
who "would rather will nothingness than not will," finally resulting in a denial of life, which is seen
as unhealthy by Nietzsche (Nietzsche, On the Geneaology of Morals 163). Second, they "favor ...
the universal rule of one and only one value scheme," blocking efforts by individuals to exercise
their natural wills to power by creating their own values (Gooding–Williams 35).
Out in that desert, the camel sheds his load, and becomes the lion spirit. Unlike the obedient, load–
bearing camel, the lion asserts his own will and "lordship in its own wilderness" (Nietzsche, Thus
Spake Zarathustra). In order to truly become his own master as he desires, the lion must triumph
over the dragon, representative of the God and value system he is deserting, which claims that "[a]ll
values have already been created, and all created values – do I represent" (Nietzsche, Thus Spake
Zarathustra). Since both lion and dragon claim sole authority over the creation and valuation of all
possible values, one must defeat the other:

Grendel Philosophies
Philosophies are the ideas formed in one's mind, often about the world and the questions we have
about it. As humans, we often pick one philosophy and stick with it. How would a monster like the
character Grendel in the novel by John Gardner react to these philosophies? Throughout the novel,
Grendel experiences and is conflicted with many different philosophies. Influenced by characters
such as the Shaper, the Dragon, and the people of Hrothgar, Grendel experiences many philosophies
such as Nihilism, Solipsism, and Machiavellianism.
One of the major philosophies in the novel Grendel is Nihilism. Nihilism is the rejection of moral
and religious principles, and the belief that life is small and meaningless. In the first few pages of
the novel, John Gardner states that "He cocks his head like an elderly, slow–witted king, considers
his angles, decides to ignore me. I stamp. I hammer the ground with my fists. I hurl a skull–size
stone at him. He will not budge." (Gardner, 5). Here is a snippet of Grendel's hatred towards life and
even nature. Throughout the novel, Grendel proves to the reader that he doesn't really care about
anybody except for himself. In this quote, Grendel sees a ram and tries to make it leave, only to fail.
The ram just stays where it is and ignores Grendel, even when Grendel yells and throws a large rock
at it. As John Gardner states, "I understood that the world was nothing: a mechanical chaos of
casual, brute enmity on which we stupidly impose our hopes

Isaiah Berlin's Fathers And Children-Turgenev And The...
In the lecture titled Fathers and Children–Turgenev and the Liberal Predicament, Isaiah Berlin draws
our attention to Turgenev's ambivalent attitude towards the hero of the novel, Bazarov. Turgenev is
no doubt fascinated by Bazarov's destructive energy, and yet remains unable to stand firmly on
Bazarov's side. Bazarov is not a revolutionist dreaming to build a utopian empire on the ruin of
existing orders–he does not care to analyse what is it that he swears to destroy–but is a self–
proclaimed nihilist vowing to clear the ground. The author almost wishes that the sheer force in
Bazarov could be smoothened, be tempered and be steered to something constructive; but in his
attempt to reshape Bazarov by subjecting him to the ordeal of love, he finds himself with no other
choice but to shatter Bazarov altogether. Love ties one to the mundane in life at the present moment
and renders one vulnerable to all the sentimentalism that a nihilist should contempt. Consequently a
Bazarov in love must die. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Although a peer of Bazarov and his most enthusiastic disciple, in the course of the story Arkady
discovers himself to be the opposite of Bazarov and falls back to become his father. Bazarov's has to
die, but Arkday is granted worldly happiness in the end by the affectionate pen of the author.
Turgenev does not force himself or the readers to struggle with Arkady, and consequently Arkady
does not possess Bazarov's power to provoke or to despair. It would not be inappropriate to suggest,
however, that deep in Turgenev's heart, Arkady's resign constitutes an important part of his own
attitude towards the dilemma of his time. Fathers and Sons is a book about the deep gulf between
the two generations of Russians in the 1840s and the 1860s, and Arkady, a member of the new
generation, symbolizes the impossibility of a true settlement of the deeply trenched conflicts by way
of reconciliation, because he simply withdraws without

Hemingway 's Writing : A Philosophical Lens Essay
In Hemingway's writing, he is always searching for truth, although, he often looks at the world in a
nihilistic way. When reading through the authors' short–stories or novels, he often refers to
nothingness and the meaninglessness of existence. However, he also uses a practical application to
repair his existential nihilistic viewpoints. Hemingway's work is often seen as a representation of
himself, and I believe that he used pragmatism as a distraction from the meaninglessness of the
world. With suicide being prevalent in his family, I firmly believe that Hemingway himself strived
for meaning in life, but eventually opted out because life is chaotic and there are too many unknown
answers in the world. Hemingway tried to establish values and morals through pragmatism, but in
reality, values are constantly changing and everything is temporary. By looking through a
philosophical lens, I will demonstrate how Hemingway uses absurdism, nihilism, and pragmatism as
a way to understand and interpret the world. In order to do so, I will look through Hemingway's
short–stories and novels and analyze passages critically to showcase the theories that are present in
his work. In order to undertake this grand idea, I will also incorporate biographical elements to
display Hemingway's family history of suicide and to showcase his personal struggle to find
meaning in the world. Nothing in life is simple or easy to understand. Life is a chaotic jumble of
randomness that can change from one

Nihilism and Existentialism in Cormac McCarthy's The Crossing
Nihilism and Existentialism in Cormac McCarthy's The Crossing
Cormac McCarthy's second book in The Border Trilogy offers an impressive array of worldviews all
competing together in the larger narrative framework of the novel. These are not only expressed
through the life of the protagonist Billy Parham and his brother Boyd, but also in the narratives of
the many people they encounter on their horseback journeys through the hot desert sands of Mexico.
Critic Robert L. Jarrett, associate professor of English at the University of Houston–Downtown,
suggests the same in Cormac McCarthy, noting that "Despite the claims of the ex–priest [in The
Crossing] that all men's tales are one, such visions or tales are individual, highly ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
In his encyclopedic entry "Nihilism," Dr. Alan Pratt, professor of Humanities at Embry–Riddle
University, points to the passage in Shakespeare's Macbeth when she goes into her soliloquy about
the futility of life to demonstrate the stance of the existential nihilist in classic literature:
Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more; it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. (Qtd. in Pratt, para. 12.)
Other well–known motifs that express the existential nihilist's perspective of life include the Greek
tale of Sisyphus, first noted by novelist Albert Camus in his 1942 book The Myth of Sisyphus.
Sisyphus was a cruel king in Corinth who was condemned to spend eternity rolling a huge boulder
up a mountain, knowing full well that once he reached the top it would again only come rumbling
back down, yet he shouldered his burden again and again, faithfully trudging back up the
mountainside in compliance with his fate. For the existential nihilist, the

Friedrich Nietzsche, The German Philosopher

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Friedrich Nietzsche, The German Philosopher