Author: M. Farahi Tojegi
The Evolution of Nihilism and Its Opposition to Religious Faith (part 14)
Absurdity and Absurd Nihilism
Absurdity constitutes the essence of postmodern nihilism, and absurd nihilism represents its most prominent form. As the dominant expression of postmodern nihilism, absurd nihilism inherently possesses a humanistic character; however, within this framework, humanism itself is shaken by instability, anxiety, and profound crisis, existing in a state of fragmentation and uncertainty.
What is absurdity? What does “absurd” mean? And what are the defining characteristics of absurd nihilism as the principal form of postmodern nihilism?
Linguistically, “absurd” refers to something meaningless, unintelligible, irrational, or incoherent. However, it is important to note that neither “absurd” nor “absurdity” can be adequately translated into a single equivalent term in Persian (Dari), because the concept of the absurd has emerged through more than two thousand years of the evolution of nihilism in Western intellectual history. As a technical term, “absurd” embodies the accumulated legacy of nihilism, especially as it manifests in the crisis of decline in the modern world and the emergence of the final, anxiety-ridden stage of modern nihilism—namely, postmodern nihilism.
Therefore, translating such a term into a single word is insufficient; rather, its meaning must be clarified through explanation, interpretation, and conceptual analysis.
In dictionaries, the absurd is defined as something intellectually or conventionally inconsistent, disproportionate, unreasonable, and illogical.
Eugène Ionesco, in an essay on Franz Kafka, explains the term as follows:
The absurd is that which is devoid of purpose. A human being cut off from religious, metaphysical, and transcendental roots becomes lost. All his actions become meaningless, futile, and useless. The essence of this perspective lies in the belief that the certainties and fundamental assumptions of past ages have collapsed; they have been tested and found deficient.
By 1942, Albert Camus had gradually raised the question: if life has lost all meaning, why should one not seek escape through suicide? This sense of metaphysical anxiety arising from the futility of human existence became the central theme in the works of writers such as Samuel Beckett, Arthur Adamov, Eugène Ionesco, and Jean Genet.[1]
Although absurdity is closely related to nihilism and meaninglessness, translating “absurd” simply as “meaninglessness” is neither precise nor entirely correct. Absurdity encompasses a broader conceptual field, including notions such as futility, irrationality, emptiness, and purposelessness. While nihilism is one manifestation of absurdity, it does not fully capture its meaning.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1965) defines “absurd” as:
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In music, discordant;
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In general usage, inconsistent with reason or propriety—clearly irrational, and therefore ridiculous or foolish.[2]
Thus, although no single-word equivalent exists, “absurd” can be understood as a wide conceptual domain encompassing meaninglessness, futility, irrationality, emptiness, and purposelessness.
The difficulty of translating this term into Persian (Dari) stems from the fact that classical Persian literature, deeply rooted in Islamic and spiritual teachings, has never been shaped by humanism or absurdity in its modern Western sense. Therefore, within the rich corpus of classical Persian prose and poetry, one cannot find a concept that fully expresses absurd nihilism.
Absurdity reflects the current condition of the modern Western world, which—having entered its postmodern phase of decline—faces a complex state of decay, confusion, and self-destruction. It increasingly deforms modern humanity, reducing it to a confused, passive, and purposeless being, further sinking into degradation and futility.
In the dominance of postmodern nihilism, modern humans fall into a condition of passivity, unconsciousness, intellectual stagnation, manipulation, and psychological sedation. The expansion of absurdity across all aspects of life gradually leads to the destruction of the modern world and the eclipse of Western historical trajectory. In the short term, however, it reinforces neoliberal structures by intensifying atomization and reducing individuals to instinct-driven, consumption-oriented beings devoid of higher meaning or purpose.
The main components of absurd nihilism can be summarized as follows:
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Rejection of ideals and opposition to idealism
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Discrediting all forms of meaning-seeking under labels such as dogmatism or ideological thinking
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Intensification of social atomization and reduction of human life to trivial, instinctual, and consumerist patterns
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Strengthening of anti-social tendencies in individuals
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Promotion of alienation, indifference, irresponsibility, and emotional numbness
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Expansion of cruel, unrestrained, and sadistic forms of violence
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Widespread dissemination of despair, meaninglessness, and existential emptiness
Thus, the absurdist human is one who is trapped in meaninglessness and rejects all forms of moral, spiritual, social, or political commitment.
A general characteristic of modern humanity is encapsulated in the idea that “man is a wolf to man,” and this trait is intensified under absurdity. Absurdity is defined by features such as meaninglessness, disbelief, doubt, anxiety, ambiguity, instability, depression, loneliness, and the dominance of trivial daily concerns.
In the era of postmodern nihilism, the identity crisis of modern humanity has become more profound and visible. Among the consequences of the spread of absurdity are the rise of extreme violence, the proliferation of psychological and moral disorders, the weakening of family structures, increased suicide rates, addiction, and the spread of deviant social and sexual behaviors.
Absurd nihilism, therefore, is not merely a variant but the core and dominant essence of postmodern nihilism. Since its emergence—particularly from the 1980s onward—postmodern nihilism has increasingly taken on absurd characteristics, to the extent that contemporary Western modernity can be seen as dissolving into absurdism.
Continues…
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References:
[1]. Esslin, The Theatre of the Absurd, p. 25.
[2]. Hinchliffe, Absurdity, p. 6.
