Nihilist

Nihilist is a person who subscribes to nihilism, a family of philosophical positions that contend that life lacks inherent meaning, value, or purpose. There is no single doctrine that all nihilists share; the term encompasses several related views, including moral nihilism (no objective moral truths), epistemic nihilism (skepticism about knowledge or meaning), existential nihilism (life lacks intrinsic meaning), and political nihilism (rejection of political and social institutions). Some use nihilism more loosely to describe radical skepticism or indifference to conventional norms. The word comes from Latin nihil, "nothing," via French and Russian usage in the 19th century. The term originated in 19th-century Russia, associated with those who questioned religious orthodoxy and morality. In Western philosophy, nihilism is often discussed in relation to Friedrich Nietzsche, who wrote about the "death of God" and the threat of nihilism, while arguing for the creation of new values to replace exhausted ones. Dostoevsky's novels depict nihilist characters as challenging moral order, sometimes with destructive consequences. In contemporary usage, "nihilist" can describe someone who is cynical or rejects meaning, or as a literary or philosophical stereotype; but actual philosophical nihilism is a debated position, not a single school.