Nihilism - Friedrich Nietzsche’s Warning to The World

Friedrich Nietzsche provided the first detailed diagnosis of nihilism as a widespread phenomenon of Western culture and warns the world of its consequences, most famously in the parable of the madman where he proclaims that "God is dead".

Nietzsche was concerned primarily with existential nihilism, where life as a whole has no intrinsic meaning or value. He defines nihilism as the “radical repudiation of value, meaning, and desirability." In other words, nihilism consists in an inability to find value and meaning in the higher aspects of this life and world. It empties the world and purpose of human existence.

In order to overcome nihilism, Nietzsche proposes a “revaluation of all values”, through concepts such as the Übermensch, the Will to Power and the Eternal Recurrence, seeking to replace the old values with new ones that focus on life-affirmation, rather than some beyond. He tells us to remain faithful to the earth.

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📚 Recommended Reading

▶ The Will to Power
▶ The Gay Science (1882)
▶ Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883)
▶ Beyond Good and Evil (1886)
▶ On the Genealogy of Morals (1887)
▶ Ecce Homo (1888)

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⌛ Timestamps

0:00 Introduction: Nihilism
2:19 Nihilism as Despair
3:00 Nihilism as Disorientation
7:25 Ascetic Ideal as Nihilistic
8:30 Nihilism as Lack of Higher Values
13:25 Active Nihilism and Passive Nihilism
14:34 Nihilism and Modern Man
16:24 Is Nietzsche a Nihilist?
17:20 Overcoming Nihilism

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📝 Sources

Huddleston, A. (2019). Nietzsche on Nihilism: a unifying thread. Philosophers, 19
The Will to Power – Friedrich Nietzsche edited by Walter Kaufmann
Nietzsche. Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist by Walter Kaufmann

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🎶 Music used (by Kevin MacLeod)

1. Mesmerize
2. Earnest
3. Lightless Dawn
4. Quinn’s Song – A New Man
5. Evening Fall Harp
6. Dark Walk

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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Thanks for watching, I appreciate it!
#nihilism #nietzsche

[Eternalised]

*"What does nihilism mean? That the highest values devaluate themselves. The goal is lacking; the answer is lacking to our Why?"*
— Nietzsche


Thanks to my Patrons:

Ryon Brashear, Jeanette, john cochran, Jay B, Reuben Markham, Evangelos Barakos, Mr X

[bobcabot]

it is kinda funny how the world has turned Nietzsche into a Nihilist: like turning the messenger into the message...

[haziqshah]

I don’t get why people always call Nietzsche a nihilist. Yes he elaborated on nihilism clearly but I always see him as a realist constantly fighting nihilistic tendencies. It’s normal to see the world as a meaningless place when you’re too smart, but no one’s ever smart enough to be able to understand everything. Nietzsche is too smart for his own good.

[guitaoist]

Alot of people think “Nietzsche was a nihilist” but his whole Zarathustra was about trying to overcome the nausea of nihilism. His notes also clarify that he criticized nihilism, “A nihilist is a man who believes the world as it is ought NOT to be, but the world as it OUGHT to be, doesn’t exist: a contradiction.”

[raskolnikovman]

Fantastic breakdown on nihilism. I never thought of the 'last man' as nihilistic, its frightening how close to modernity that is. A true prophet Nietzsche was.

[sucapizda]

Nietz said we strayed away from the basic values and focus on the grandiose ones. How true. If every one focussed on the simple values like caring for the sick, or say sweeping a dirty street and picking up garbage how much happier and pleasant the world would be in general. I think those simple duties can bring the most satisfaction and purpose to life as they achieve instant results and a instant impact on the world around you at the moment.

[eldonscott]

This has brought tears into my eyes. I’m living in such despair after so many things that have happened in my life and this year brought cancer. I’ve lost my entire family and I don’t know what I’m doing each day, the suicidal ideations are suffocating. I’ll need to watch this video several more times and try to process some profound portion of it… it’s dizzying. I used to be a “christian” and that’s been the disaster that only IT can be, I’ve never heard it spoken about so insightfully, I’m grateful to hear such sanity spoken.

I wish for the maker of this video to know what a gift this presentation is. I love you all. May you all be super and at peace.

[IsaiahINRI]

When you spend your whole life arguing against nihilism and then everyone remembers you as a nihilist...

[spittle]

Thank you for this work of passion. I discovered Nietzsche by accident, found a copy of Human, All Too Human when I was 12 and was bored enough to thumb through it. Changed my life. For once, I was understood. Coming from a traumatic and hard upbringing, with no religious background to fall back on, Nietzsche taught me to embrace the turmoil and indifference of nature and love life. Nietzsche provided the only fully voiced and impregnable argument against nihilism that wasn't tied to a religious impulse. I found God later in life, but Nietzsche will always be my prophet. Thank you for this.

[WeAreAllOneNature]

7:58 ''This world is to be transcended, and is a mere bridge to another existence.''
8:16 ''All of Nietzsche's work has one important theme: LIFE AFFIRMATION.''

[WeAreAllOneNature]

17:20 onwards.
Ubermensch (Superman) is:-
* A quality in yourself that conquers nihilism (the belief that life is meaningless).
* He is the meaning we should give to our lives.
* Is the highest life-affirmer.
* Loves his fate.
* The happiest person.
* Is the meaning and justification of existence.

'The Will To Power' is:-
* To be master of oneself.
* Is the journey of Self-realisation.
* The journey of becoming who one is.

[takeuchi]

"Happiness is the feeling associated with the overcoming of suffering"

[cr]

Excellent analysis of a very relevant topic. It seems that the question of “why?” can lead us down a one way path filled with immense pain. When we no longer accept the answers that have been spoon fed to us and our perceptions seem to shatter into pieces, we may find ourselves at what feels like a dead end. But in reaching this point, we have the opportunity to finally accept life for the way that we can actually observe it. We may find that it’s purpose is simply to live on. To live well. To thrive. The meaning of life is meaning. Connection. Something for something for something
. It is what our ancestors observed so long ago. That is why life has long been referred to as a circle. It is why we are beings of symbolism. A snake chasing its tail. The loops of infinity. Expansion followed by contraction. Our breathing, our hearts beating. Expression and experience. The patterns within life help us reminisce on the past while glimpsing into the future. Ever new, yet ever familiar. And still, despite its seemingly paradoxical nature., something rather than nothing.,

The morals that we may have thought were lost with our former perceptions become obvious reflections of that which promotes the flourishing of life in general. What’s good is what ultimately best promotes the most life. Good is what’s most meaningful and sensible, rather than meaningless and nonsensical. Good is what reveals our connection to all else and strengthens it if only to remind us always that we are this realm and it is us.

Our convenient words such as “love” and “God” are commonly adopted yet inadequate tools for labeling or defining phenomena that are far too transcendental for us to ever encapsulate with language. The best way to promote belief in such phenomena is to show them to others through various actions rather than merely telling them with words.

[Igneous]

The last form of nihilism: Dark Soulism - where the linking of the flame makes no difference, the world one of excruciating pain and suffering, yet a small group of lonely travelers walk the path of the warrior into the abyss.

Fear not the dark my friend, and let the feast begin.

[darthxertor]

Amazing video. Covering such complex topics without unnecessary details and in an understandable way, only in the range of roughly 20 minutes? You have my deepest admiration.

[marc]

This video is a superb piece of work; a great combination of concise, efficient, sharp exposition with a number of my favourite artworks... I feel compelled to comment. This was exactly the video I hoped to find in searching for Nietzsches warnings about nihilism at 11pm here in Scotland on a cold October night with whisky in the glass. I don’t have time any more to spend the years it takes to get to grips with this stuff. And what a coincidence you just uploaded it today. Your video makes the time I spent, feel like time well spent. Appreciate your work. Well done, subscribed and look forward to the next one 👍

[deniskobera]

wow, first I feel the need to express my thankfulness for your work. last summer, maybe even sooner I discovered you and watched almost all of your work, your introduction to Nietzsche was very helpful for me when reading his books, overall books actually. now after having spent pretty much already 3 years of studying Man I feel like I understand every word in your video, even though I come from Slovakia and my english is far from perfect. all of the ideas were explained as well as they could, your narrating skills are incredible and especially I thank you for not being selfish and trying to interpret it as you view it, but rather as he really meant it.

It is a pleasure learning and growing with help of your videos. Keep it up!

[charlessomerset]

I have always thought of Nihilism as the grain of sand in the oyster of human existence. The irritant that eventually leads to a transcendent experience of purpose.
Thank you for this. Amazing overview.

[afroabsurd]

thank you for doing this work and sharing to with us all. i’m currently in a graduate program to become a Professional Counselor (Mental Health Therapist) and in trying to choose my theoretical orientation I’m trying to learn as much about all facets of existentialism as possible. I definitely had a preconceived notion of what I believed nihilism to be, and this video absolutely helped to expand that understanding. thanks again.

[jayabyss]

*My formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity.*
– Nietzsche

Overcoming nihilism 17:58