Flaxen talking bollocks, once again......

Nihilism: a belief in the pointless of existence; the absence of truth; the absence of reason.

Mayhap, tis the handmaiden of decadence and the Herald of societal catastrophe. Nihilism lends a helping hand or at least, places the hammer in our hands; I do not subscribe to this view.

Nihilism is often envisaged as a modern preoccupation, but this is not the case. As a notion, nihilism has an ancient pedigree although the word only became 'current' during the 19th century. The concept of nihilism was known to the ancient Greeks and peculiarly to the 'Sceptics', an influential school in ancient Greek philosophy. At its extreme, scepticism denies the possibility of the acquisition of knowledge or truth and thus hints at the modern concept of epistemological nihilism. At its worst, it invites solipsism.

Shakespeare had an opinion on everything. The Bard had a knack of posing society's conundrums in a pleasing manner. His approach is often askew but his insight is penetrating, nonetheless. Here is his take on nihilism, although he would not have considered it as such, in wondrous and lyrical form.

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.

Macbeth

Of the modern philosophers, nihilism is more often associated with Friederich Nietzsche. He departs from a cold rational appreciation of the concept and characteristically injects an emotionally charged corrosive. Indeed, if men stop believing in god, in society, in morality and finally themselves, the cohesive forces binding society become fractured as men longer care. Not only is the world a cruel illusion and intrinsically meaningless, but it is a 'world' that demands to be set afire. Once man has killed ‘God’ he goes on to kill himself, with baleful satisfaction. For Nietzsche, nihilism is the introduction of a societal abrasive and is viewed, ultimately, as a cleansing force in Western society. Various sages of the early 20th century conjured and concurred with this appreciation and added their own twist, at will.  

Perhaps we should not worry, too much. I am of the belief that nihilism is the preoccupation of the comfortable, Western intellectual. If we believe that civilisations evolve, then nihilism is a natural consequence amongst the 'thinking classes'. To my mind, nihilism is always going to raise its nobbly head in any society which rises above the savage. This is why the Mohammedan has no concept of nihilism except in deed. When a certain class of society acquires wealth and education they ponder upon the known and more importantly, the unknown, more than is good for them. The man tilling the field or sweating on the production line contemplates nihilism, not at all; well not in any coherent way, at least. Nihilism is a concept of the intelligentsia and mostly of the literary intelligentsia, at that. The liberal intellectual minority rarely influences society. When do clever men make effective politicians except when they are autocratic tyrants- Caesar, anyone? The clear answer is that, generally, they don't. Stupid men, with an ideology and a gun, do better. Have you ever read Plato's, 'Republic' and understood it? Plato would make fascists of us all.

Reflection on society is a diversion for the intellectual elite as they sip latte's in trendy neighbourhoods. Nihilism, as a concept and a diversion, is a beautiful fiction, a mere symptom of intellectual malaise. Long may it reign and not impose on us simple folk. Let us not be led astray by the abstract. If we want to consider the factors leading to the ultimate collapse of Western Civilisation, and by this I mean European Civilisation, we should be looking toward practical economics and politics. All else is mere commentary and sophistry.

Having said that, quixotically, I confess as a natural inclination, I'm drawn to nihilism. This goes against the intellectual grain according to my very extensive and rational scientific education. I suspect I'm not a typical scientist and I'm happy to embrace irrational concepts as long as I recognise them as such. This is not the thought of a clear head but of a racing heart. In my quieter moments, I have known darkness and despair. Tis my own, 'Black Dog'.......