Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Nihilism comes from the Latin nihil , meaning “nothing.” It is the belief that nothing inherently governs existence: no values, principles, or ultimate meaning. Many philosophers treat this as an existential crisis: If there is no meaning to our lives and actions, why bother? This work challenges the assumption that nihilism is terrifying. I adopt a broader, more neutral framing: life lacks inherent meaning, but this lack is not necessarily tragic. Drawing on the Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi, I develop an alternative view of nihilism that contrasts with the Anglo‐European “death of God” narrative and the moral chaos it supposedly unleashes. For Zhuangzi, nothingness is not a threat. He does not mourn the loss of meaning, nor does he attempt to overcome it by creating new values. Instead, Zhuangzi challenges the ultimacy of meaning, highlights its contingency, and offers a distinctive way of inhabiting purposelessness—opening new possibilities for ethical and political thought across traditions.
Source: Journal of Religious Ethics
DOI: 10.1111/jore.70013
Author: Christine Abigail L. Tan
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,900
OpenAlex ID: W7117464426