The Nihilism of ILP

Due to circumstances, I have been silent of late,
circumstances of my retirement and of the death of
a family friend (from Cancer)… it has been a rocky
couple of weeks… but that is the nature of life…
but ‘‘circumstances’’ are what make life, life…

and I have come back to ILP and I see nothing has changed,
it is still drowning in nihilism and despair…and how
have I defined ''Nihilism?"… as the negation of
human beings and their values… and the many nihilists
of ILP have done nothing to overcome their nihilism…
It is one conspiracy theory after another after another…
and each conspiracy theory is another dreary report
of nihilism after another… for conspiracy theories by
their very nature, ‘‘The Jews run the world’’
for example, suggests that there is nothing we can
do about these conspiracies… we have no choices within
each of these conspiracies… from 9/11 to the latest idiocy
of whatever these idiot conspiracy theorists are peddling today,
and at no point, do they ever offer us any choices, options,
possibilities to overcome these conspiracies… we are,
in all conspiracy cases, hopelessly unable to do anything
about those conspiracies… just ‘‘thank you sir, may I have
another’’ type of response from these pointless conspiracy
theorists… and they wonder why the world is doom and gloom?
pointless conspiracy theories offer us nothing but doom and
gloom… that is their entire benefit… it, conspiracy theories,
brings about nihilism and despair and why? Because their
is never, NEVER any type of solution or possibility, to
overcome their insane conspiracies… What are we to do in
the case of a worldwide Jewish conspiracy to take over the world?
Who knows, no one ever tells us this… we just hear about
the doom and gloom of the conspiracies…

But these bearers of doom and gloom, of conspiracy theories,
they don’t offer us anything positive or as I have deemed it,
‘‘Ad Meliora’’ Toward better things… how do we begin
to move toward ''Ad meliora?"

The first step is rather clear; we begin by overcoming
our conspiracy theories, by our focus on the positive,
not the negative as conspiracy theorist do…
How do we begin the process of overcoming our
indoctrinations and ''education?"…

Or in the words of Nietzsche, how do we become
the ‘‘Ubermensch’’ which isn’t becoming a ‘‘Superman’’
but we overcome our animal nature and strive toward
becoming human… hanging onto idiotic conspiracy
theories isn’t the path toward overcoming our animal
being, but is in fact, embracing that animal in us…
why would I say that embracing conspiracies is
existing within the animal within us, not striving toward
becoming human?

Because embracing a conspiracy theory is about
accepting ideas that haven’t been tested to see if
they are right… they are simply unchallenged beliefs
that are blindly accepted without attempt to
discover if they are true… for example, where
is the evidence that there is a worldwide conspiracy
of Jews to either take over the world or they have already
taken over the world… that is simply an unsubstantiated
belief that has no evidence behind it… and if it
were true, not, but if it were true, what should our
response be to that? What can I do or want to do,
about this alleged worldwide Jewish conspiracy?
There are never any words offered to help us engage
with this pretend conspiracy… what am I to do,
personally, to do about a worldwide conspiracy of Jews?

That is one step, what are we to do, as one individual,
but that is not the only step we must take, we must also
understand what we can do collectively about such
a worldwide conspiracy… if it were to actually exists…

but we must also engage in our working out, understanding
what it means to be human… which is to say, how do
we overcome our modern day nihilism?
The conspiracy theories, the giving up, the all too common
reaction which is to declare a pox on all houses…
As many around here do… I am reminded of the old saying,
that all it takes for evil to succeed is for good people to remain silent…
and silence is what takes place around ILP…
Instead of condemning the evil of MAGA and conservatives,
people simply condemn both houses… instead of the
proper answer which is this: what can I do, personally to
overcome the evil I see that exists in the world today?

The conspiracy theorists of ILP would rather have you
simply give up… walk away, make no attempt to
overcome… doom and gloom…is all they have to offer…
This nihilism is not just on ILP but it exists and is so
prevalent within the state/society, that we don’t even
notice it anymore…

so, how do you overcome, your prejudices/your conspiracy
theories, so that you can no longer engage in nihilism but
you do work toward ‘‘Ad meliora’’, toward the better?

You, masters of nihilism, you can’t even tell what the better
is, because you are so locked into your nihilism…
your denial of hope and possibilities and improvement…
NO, because to accept those positives, means one has
to do the hard work of overcoming those values and beliefs…
it takes work to overcome your negatives and nihilism,
and come toward an understanding of what it means to
be human…

Kropotkin

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@Peter_Kropotkin

If only more people were perfect and more inclined like Peter Kropotkin this world would be saved…

:clown_face:

MrAuthoritarian:
@Peter_Kropotkin

If only more people were perfect and more inclined like Peter Kropotkin this world would be saved…

K: and as usual, Mr. A offers us nothing in terms of choices,
possibilities or something to strive for… he is practicing,
as usual, nihilism… what does Mr. A give us in terms of
engaging in ‘‘Ad meliora’’… nothing… there is no better things
in his words, advice or suggestions… just Nihilism…

Kropotkin

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@Peter_Kropotkin

What does CNN have to say about nihilism Peter? We should consult our most prized talking heads on t.v. for surely they know the truth on such matters.

How do we make America liberal again?

I want to feel safe and protected again amongst blissful ignorance. I want to feel warm and fuzzy wrapped in liberal talking points that have the answers to everything.

Where did it all go wrong Peter? I want the blue pill bucko, do you have any of those blue pills?

:clown_face:

Peter, congratulations on your retirement, and condolences on the loss of your friend.

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Ichthus77:
Peter, congratulations on your retirement, and condolences on the loss of your friend.

K: and I thank you for both sentiments…

Kropotkin

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MrAuthoritarian:
What does CNN have to say about nihilism Peter? We should consult our most prized talking heads on t.v. for surely they know the truth on such matters.

How do we make America liberal again?

I want to feel safe and protected again amongst blissful ignorance. I want to feel warm and fuzzy wrapped in liberal talking points that have the answers to everything.

Where did it all go wrong Peter? I want the blue pill bucko, do you have any of those blue pills?

K: As your post, as usual, doesn’t address my thread,
it does bring out one point, that you think some sort of pill
is enough to ‘‘save’’ you… and in fact, that is the opposite
of what I have said, repeatedly said…
That to become, takes hard work and a serious look at
one’s values and beliefs… You are indoctrinated and you won’t/can’t
even work out your indoctrinations or the value in holding to those
indoctrinations…

you are conservative, ok, fine why those values and not
another? I have done the work on my values/beliefs…
I have had three different and distinct political viewpoints…
How have you ‘‘overcome’’ your own beliefs and values?
We humans have to travel a path… we are going, as Nietzsche
pointed out, going from animal to becoming human… where
are you on this path? How are you overcoming your animal side
of existence and thus, begin to travel, yes travel, to becoming
human… in your beliefs, there is no past, present nor future…
it all exists within a set time and place… I can offer you no such
false belief… my values are all about this movement from
animal to becoming human…

I have read that some wonder why we haven’t ‘‘improved’’ since
the stone age? I suggest that it is because we are stuck in
being animal, and not in making the journey to our future,
becoming human, fully human… walking away from instincts
and intuition, into holding to choices and possibilities by
holding to logic, reason and thinking about something,
not just, as you do, engaged in believing your emotions,
your gut feeling is how one gets by in life…

you remain a conservative because you cannot overcome
your base values and beliefs… examine your choices
and see if your choices and values are actually choices and
values that hold true for you today and will hold true tomorrow…
The fact of the matter is that most people hold to beliefs
and values they were indoctrinated with as children…
as I believe you to be… how do you overcome your
indoctrinations?

Kropotkin

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A correct definition of concepts, including nihilism, would expose many on this forum as being what they profess to be against.

Starting with the experienced, the act, we can define many terms, such as morality, free-will, and nihilism…

Anyone who rejects experienced reality, the apparent, or proposes ideals that contradict experienced reality, and life….are nihilists.

The absence of universal morality, a cosmic purpose, a Abrahamic god, does not make existence negative, but positive…because it produced life, and it exists without these manmade abstractions.

If they were to exist then existence, as we know it, would be nullified….so whomever believes that the absence of universal purpose/meaning, a god, as defined in the Bible, or universal morality are ‘positive’ they are living in delusion…..they, in fact, hate existence, as it is, and want to cease existing, because they find it intolerable that existence would deny them what they so desperately need to cope.

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I’ve only been here a few days, but have already been in some interesting exchanges and have read some very interesting posts. There does seem to be a lot of opinions here that aren’t very well grounded in logic, but that’s everywhere, especially considering we’re on the internet. Sometimes you have to dig through the mud to find the pearls, it’s just the way it is.

I’m sorry to hear you lost someone close.

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“Anyone who rejects experienced reality, the apparent, or proposes ideals that contradict experienced reality, and life….are nihilists.”

Yeah, but that description can be too ambiguous. In fact, nihilism can’t be a philosophy at all without logically imploding. Here’s why. If it asserts any positive claims, it admits some meaning and purpose; “the universe is meaningless!” he shouts. Okay. But why should I know this, or want to know this? You see, the nihilist is already engaged in meaningful, purposeful activity even in his denial of it. He tells me everything is meaningless and that this is important to know, etc. This is not nihilism but philosophy.

In the end, all it can be is attitudinal… anything from a chip on the shoulder to a refusal to leave the house. Sometimes, it can be the eccentric over optimist, too. The Durden type.

One can’t get away from the preoccupation with something, an engagement and commitment to a way of seeing things and living.

At most, we can have an extreme skeptic… one who suspends belief in x, y, and z, but with more flare than the stoic skeptic. A nihilist then is like a skeptic with a lot of bling.

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There is a universal morality and cosmic purpose, and it is positive not negative.

I have to warn you what I’m about to say is quite negative, so I will put in spoilers if you want to avoid it.

Summary

Sorry to bring the big guns but universal morality exists and saying it doesn’t exist is a form of nihilism. I will provide an example is a god that provides eternal punishment for finite crimes is universally immoral and not moral. Sorry to bring the negativity to the conversation but it needs to be said and people need to learn that absolute morality exists.

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Interesting juxtaposition…

kalli]Kant[zaros: life from positively chaotic existence that therefor isn’t nothing (WILD source of all capacity/quality) … no Abrahamic god (as ]Kant[ conceives it), no morality, no purpose (not even life?)

futureone: morality & purpose BECAUSE how else to judge a finite-crimes-hell-allowing god to be evil (the greatest possible god futureone can conceive, apparently? am i mistaken?)

Walks away from the frames, puts hand on chin, rests other fist on hip, examines their contrasting light and shadows.

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I just want everyone to know that I am not a nihilist, I prefer the term totalitarian or even an authoritarian moralist would suffice.

Thank you for this understanding, I appreciate it.

:clown_face:

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What the hell are you on?

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Declarative statements are not arguments.

Sorry for deflating your plastic “big guns.”

ALL value-judgments, including your use of the term “crime”, are relative to an objective or a standard. are relative to an objective.

Sometimes killing is bad, but sometimes it is good…..it depends on the motive, the reason….the underlying ideal.

Don’t apologize for interrupting us with your inanities, just stop doing so.

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She’s drunk on Jesus.

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not your god-concept…

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Can you answer, futureone? No? Ok.

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Absolute good and absolute bad exists…

Morality is different than good or bad. Morality is an action of brained-beings.

Sitting on hot coals is absolute bad. Only in 2025 would a philosopher debate if sitting on hot coals is good or bad.

image

.

Sometimes killing is bad, but sometimes it is good…..it depends on the motive, the reason….the underlying ideal.

Moral softballs. And almost it sounds like you are saying it is morally justifiable or not morally justifiable, depending on reasoning… referring to some imaginary absolute.

I am referring to clear moral absolutes. Clear moral absolutes are rare in the universe, but they exist. Most morality is NOT absolute. Most morality is relative to an opinion or objective

.

Sorry for deflating your plastic “big guns.”

3d printed plastic guns are still guns.

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First of all….the meaning of the term ‘meaning’ has also been infected by nihilism.

A proper definition, starting with the experienced world, will open the mind to the realization that the cosmos is full of meaning..

What it lacks is a telos, a purpose, an objective, and this is why free-will is essential…..that and the unpredictability factor of chaos.

Existence has no objective, and this is NOT a negative…..is it?

It is a positive, BECAUSE it makes life necessary, and consciousness advantageous and free-will essential to survival.

It is the foundation of natural selection. what is being selected? Good judgment calls, superior understanding and awareness…the benefit of energy draining big brains.

Otherwise, how would they have even evolved, if they offer NO ADVANTAGE?

Did god create them, or were they determined by absolute, totalitarian cosmic order?…another way of saying exactly the same thing.

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