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The collapse of rational certainty
Modernity was built on certainty in science and mathematics. That was revealed as delusional during the early 20th century.
January 23rd, 2022
Misunderstanding “a life” as an object leads to the complaint that, although meanings exist, life is meaningless overall.
December 27th, 2021
No meaning without justification
The rationalist theory of justified action leads to nihilism. Understand your activity as a vivid, variegated landscape instead.
December 25th, 2021
Some other varieties of objectivity
Nihilistic claims about subjectivity, inherent meaning, universal meaning, and scientific objectivity do not hold up.
December 24th, 2021
While the meaning of “objective” is nebulous, learning to relate to meaningness more objectively is possible and worthwhile.
December 23rd, 2021
A stubborn nihilist can always just refuse to admit that anything is meaningful.
December 12th, 2021
When you discover you are owned by an ideology, you can escape. Better, you can become a larger space.
December 11th, 2021
Intuitions of “cosmic meaning” root in hunger for personal significance, and in encounters with vastness.
November 30th, 2021
Everything was meaningless at the moment of the Big Bang. What could add meaning after that?
November 19th, 2021
Lite nihilism, on the way to completion
Lite nihilism includes a valuable, accurate analysis of the failure of eternalism.
November 12th, 2021
Meanings come and go; they are not eternally stable—and that is fine.
November 5th, 2021
The many justifications for nihilism rely on a handful of mistaken patterns of reasoning.
October 29th, 2021
Sexy cynicism and nihilist elitism
Recognizing meaninglessness requires unusual intelligence, courage, and toughness. Nihilist elitism renders you stupid, cowardly, and helpless, though.
September 24th, 2021
A world of total license: the catastrophe some fear if nihilistic views become widespread.
September 20th, 2021
Nihilism has a taboo allure of forbidden power—because everyone knows eternalism is wrong.
September 10th, 2021
“Nihilism is inevitable, but not a problem.” This is mistaken: it makes you miserable and ineffective, and erodes social and cultural capacity.
September 8th, 2021
Cold comfort: the promise of nihilism
Nihilism promises you don’t have to care, because nothing means anything. But you do care—and you can’t escape that.
September 6th, 2021
If meaning lives only in Neverland, we can’t make much use of it. Fortunately, it’s here, now.
September 5th, 2021
Are you adult enough to accept that the world offers no absolute guarantees?
September 5th, 2021