Nihilism and Atheism

[Modem Butterfly]

Does the one naturally follow the other? If one is a Nihilist, it stands to reason one is an atheist, but can one be an atheist without being a Nihilist? Is it even correct to refer to atheism as an "ism"?

[beam me up scottie]

1. ummmmmmmmm

Do you mean:
1. An extreme form of skepticism that denies all existence ?
or
2. A doctrine holding that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated ?


*from dictionary.com

[Modem Butterfly]

6. The idea that life is without intrinsic meaning or value

Nietzche considered Nihilism as something to move through, toward something better. Not unlike religion, in that respect.

Personally, I believe that life, existance, and experiences have the meanings that their experiencers give them.

[Arianrhod]

8. I would call you an existentialist.

And I would welcome you to the club. :)

[Beetwasher]

2. I Don't Know. Would You Consider Cthulu Worshippers Nihilists?

If your deity is a deity of nihilism, then you are a nihilist that is NOT an atheist. (hmm, maybe I've played too much D&D).

And sure, you can most definitely be an atheist and NOT a nihilist. I'm an atheist and I would not consider myself a nihilist.

[onager]

3. Same here.

Atheist but not nihilist, that is.

[Warpy]

4. Buddhists are atheist, but certainly not nihilists

I'm sure there are other examples.

[fshrink]

5. I do not entertain any delusion but

I love fiction.

[leftofthedial]

7. atheism is not the rejection of values

it is the rejection of deities

[Arianrhod]

9. Technically, it's the rejection of a personal deity who has a hand

in human affairs. "Theos" being different than "Deos", of course.

Just as "a-gnosticism" is the rejection of the claim that one can have privileged knowledge that is inaccessible to others.

Personally, I tend to prefer the original nuances of these words to the watered-down versions we use today. :)

[beam me up scottie]

10. No, that's incorrect.

Atheist and Atheism Defined


ATHEIST:

Afrikaans: ateïs
Arabic: كافر
Bulgarian: атеист
Chinese: � 神论者
Deutsch: atheïst, godloochenaar
English: atheist
Español: ateo
Français: athée
Greek: άθεοσ (godless), άθεος (pagan), αθεϊστήσ, αθεϊστής
Hebrew: אתאיסט, כופר
Italiano: atheist
Português: atheist
Russian: атеист
Vietnamese: người theo thuyết vô thần người vô thần





Merriam-Webster:
one who denies the existence of God

Encarta:
unbeliever in God or deities: somebody who does not believe in God or deities

Cambridge International:
someone who believes that God or gods do not exist
Compare agnostic.

Webster 1913:
1. One who disbelieves or denies the existence of a God, or supreme intelligent Being.
2. A godless person. Syn. -- Infidel; unbeliever. See Infidel.


ATHEISM:

Deutsch: atheismus
English: atheism
Español: el ateismo
Français: athéisme
Greek: a?e?sµ??
Italiano: atheism
Português: atheism
Russian: ??????

Merriam-Webster:
Etymology: Middle French athéisme, from athée atheist, from Greek atheos godless, from a- + theos god Date: 1546
1 archaic : UNGODLINESS , WICKEDNESS
2 a : a disbelief in the existence of deity b : the doctrine that there is no deity

Encarta:
unbelief in God or deities: disbelief in the existence of God or deities
< Late 16th century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek atheos "godless," from theos (ee theo- ). >

American Heritage:
1 a. Disbelief in or denial of the existence of God or gods. b. The doctrine that there is no God or gods. 2. Godlessness; immorality.
French athéisme , from athée , atheist, from Greek atheos , godless : a- , without; see a– 1 + theos , god;

Webster 1913:
1. The disbelief or denial of the existence of a God, or supreme intelligent Being.
Atheism is a ferocious system, that leaves nothing above us to excite awe, nor around us to awaken tenderness. R. Hall.
Atheism and pantheism are often wrongly confounded. Shipley.
2. Godlessness.

Columbia Encyclopedia:
denial of the existence of God or gods and of any supernatural existence, to be distinguished from agnosticism , which holds that the existence cannot be proved. The term atheism has been used as an accusation against all who attack established orthodoxy, as in the trial of Socrates. There were few avowed atheists from classical times until the 19th cent., when popular belief in a conflict between religion and science brought forth preachers of the gospel of atheism, such as Robert G. Ingersoll. There are today many individuals and groups professing atheism. The 20th cent. has seen many individuals and groups professing atheism, including Bertrand Russell and Madalyn Murry O'Hair.

Etymology

In early Ancient Greek, the adjective atheos (from privative a- + theos "god") meant "godforsaken, abandoned by the gods". The word acquired an additional meaning in the 5th century BCE, expressing total lack of relations with the gods, that is, "denying the gods, godless, ungodly", with more active connotations than asebēs "impious". Modern translations of classical texts sometimes translate atheos as "atheistic". As an abstract noun, there was also atheotēs: "atheism". Cicero transcribed atheos into Latin. The discussion of atheoi was pronounced in the debate between early Christians and pagans, who each attributed atheism to the other.

In English, the term atheism is the result of the adoption of the French athéisme around 1587. The French word is derived from athée "godless, atheist", which in turn is from the Greek atheos. The words deist and theist entered English after atheism, being first attested in 1621 and 1662, respectively, followed by theism and deism in 1678 and 1682, respectively. Due to the influence of atheism, deism and theism exchanged meanings around 1700. Deism was originally used with a meaning comparable to today's theism, and vice-versa.


non-believer synonyms

agnostic
atheist
bright
disbeliever
doubter
faithless
freethinker
godless
heretic
ill religious
infidel
materialist
nihilist
non-believer
non-religious
objectivist
rationalist
secularist
skeptic
unbeliever

From the Atheist Empire
http://atheistempire.com/atheism/index.html

[leftofthedial]

11. damn!

that's exhaustive

[beam me up scottie]

12. Well, I WAS saving it for the next time a believer in GD or R&T tries to

tell us what atheism is, but I couldn't help myself.
:evilgrin:

[leftofthedial]

14. great resource

thanks!

[fshrink]

13. "Theo"/"Deo". Greek root/Latin root. Same concept.

[Taxloss]

15. No, it's fine being an atheist and not being a nihilist.

I'm not a nihilist, I'm an existentialist, which almost classifies as a precise opposite. Everything has meaning, but not divinity. Interpretation, as the lens of existence, is the window of true understanding, as our eyes are the window of our perception of the physical world.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

16. I agree. (nt)

[Goblinmonger]

17. I am familiar

with existentialism but what should I read if I want more indepth knowledge. My understanding came first from study of literature (I'm a HS English teacher--every fundie's nightmare: an atheist public school teacher) and then spread. I have read some but not a lot.

[Taxloss]

18. Kick off with Sartre.

"Nausea" or "Iron in the soul" are the key texts, but far from cheery.