Nihilism and Its Critics: Why Many Philosophers Dismiss It

You know what they say, “Everything is meaningless,” but then they sit down, smoke a cigarette, and stare into the void like it’s gonna reveal the truth.

Sounds like a depressing Sunday afternoon, doesn’t it?

That, my friend, is nihilism in a nutshell.

But here’s the catch – philosophers?

Many don’t like it. Not one bit.

They dismiss it faster than a bad date.

Why? Keep reading.

1. The “Edgy Teenager” Syndrome

Let’s be real – nihilism is the kind of philosophy that looks great on a Tumblr post but falls apart under any serious scrutiny.

The first issue? It’s easy. It’s lazy. You don’t need to study Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics or read Hegel to say “Nothing matters.”

That’s the kind of statement you make when you’ve listened to too much emo music and got tired of trying.

But, when you ask nihilists to defend this stance, they often fall silent.

“Well, it’s obvious, right?” they say, but their argument’s about as solid as a wet paper towel.

The truth is, nihilism’s intellectual bar is about as low as a rock in a shallow puddle.

2. The Misunderstanding of Meaninglessness

A key point critics bring up is how few self-proclaimed nihilists can even define what they mean by “meaninglessness.”

A common trap is to say, “Life is meaningless,” without ever explaining what meaning even is.

Philosophers like to ask: Meaning to whom? If everything is meaningless, then the statement itself is, by its own logic, meaningless.

It’s the kind of paradox you’d get if you tried to build a house with only wet cardboard and tape.

3. The Aesthetic Appeal – All Style, No Substance

There’s a reason why nihilism gets so much attention in pop culture.

It’s sexy. It’s rebellious. It screams “I don’t care about your rules!”

It’s like the philosophy version of a leather jacket and dark sunglasses.

But when you get past the moody aesthetic, nihilism doesn’t offer much substance.

It’s not so much a worldview as it is a shrug – “Yeah, who cares?”

It’s the kind of argument you make when you’re trying to be edgy in a philosophy class, but when philosophers want a real discussion, they need more than just some hollow rebellion.

4. Nihilism Isn’t Always Rational

It’s easy to see why some people throw nihilism around in casual conversation, but here’s the thing: it’s risky to seriously adopt it as a worldview.

Nihilism about life, morals, or existence leads to the idea that nothing really matters.

Now, philosophically, that’s a tough nut to crack. If you truly believe nothing matters, then what’s the point of even talking about it?

It’s a self-defeating stance that shuts down any further discussion, kind of like saying, “The end of the world is coming… but I’m too tired to care.”

Nihilism’s fatal flaw is that it makes everything, including itself, irrelevant.

5. Nihilism vs. Existentialism – The Better Alternative

Existentialism is nihilism’s older, wiser cousin. It acknowledges the absurdity of life – yes, it can feel pointless, like trying to put together IKEA furniture with no instructions.

But existentialists like Sartre and Camus didn’t just throw up their hands and say, “Screw it, everything is meaningless.”

They dug deeper. They crafted meaning in a world that doesn’t hand it to you on a silver platter. In short, they didn’t wallow in the void; they made the void something worth fighting against.

Nihilism, on the other hand, just gives up.

Table 1: Nihilism vs. Existentialism

Aspect	Nihilism	Existentialism
View on Life	Life is inherently meaningless	Life is meaningless but we can create meaning
Approach to Morality	No inherent morality	Morality is created by individuals
Outlook	Passive acceptance of meaninglessness	Active engagement with life’s absurdity
Famous Proponents	Nietzsche, Camus (to some extent)	Sartre, Camus, Heidegger

Table 2: Philosophical Reactions to Nihilism

Reaction	Philosopher(s)	Reason for Rejection
Dismissal as shallow	Many contemporary philosophers	It’s an easy, lazy philosophy without intellectual depth
Argument against moral nihilism	Immanuel Kant, Hume	It fails to explain moral action or social order
Focus on existential struggle	Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus	Emphasizes creating meaning despite the void
Critique of intellectual arrogance	Various philosophers	Assumes too much, provides no real answers

6. Nihilism and Moral Skepticism

One of nihilism’s most prominent forms is moral nihilism – the belief that there’s no inherent morality in the world.

Philosophers love to poke holes in this argument. Sure, it sounds nice to say, “There’s no right or wrong, it’s all just a social construct.”

But, if there’s no morality, then how do you justify anything, really?

How do you explain that one guy shouldn’t murder another for the hell of it?

Nihilism conveniently sidesteps the messy business of how humans actually live together in society.

Without moral grounding, it falls apart quickly.

7. Intellectual Arrogance – The “I’m Smarter Than You” Complex

At the heart of nihilism often lies intellectual arrogance. The idea that someone can look at the vast, complex mess of existence and say, “Yup, it’s all meaningless,” is a pretty bold move.

Many philosophers dismiss nihilism because it assumes a kind of intellectual superiority that’s hard to justify.

The arrogance it takes to claim that everything is meaningless is one step away from the arrogance it takes to say you’ve figured out everything there is to figure out.

Most philosophers find this obnoxious, especially since nihilism doesn’t offer any solutions or ways to make sense of the chaos.

The Final Word

Nihilism is the philosophy that everyone loves to claim as their own personal worldview because it’s easy, edgy, and dark.

It’s the “yeah, whatever” response to the problems of life.

But here’s the thing: nihilism doesn’t stand up to the intellectual scrutiny it pretends to.

Sure, life can seem pointless at times, but there’s a lot more to chew on than simply declaring everything void.

Life, meaning, morality – these are not easy things to dismiss.

So, if you’re tempted to adopt nihilism as your personal gospel, just remember: the real thinkers are the ones who wrestle with the meaning of life, not those who just shrug and walk away from the ring.

And hey, maybe, just maybe, you could be one of those thinkers.

But then again, you might prefer the easy way out. Either way, it’s your choice.