Author: M. Farahi Tojegi
The Evolution of Nihilism and Its Opposition to Religious Faith (Part 15)
Key Components of Postmodern Nihilism
Postmodern nihilism has destabilized the foundations of modern subjectivism.[1] This has led to serious disruption in the relationship between the individual and society within neoliberal-capitalist civil society, giving rise to widespread ethical chaos and crisis.
The ethical crisis emerging from postmodern nihilism is fundamentally different from the moral relativism that arose from Renaissance nihilism. The latter belonged to the early phase of modern subjectivism and was primarily critical of theocentric (God-centered) ethics of the medieval period. In contrast, postmodern nihilism, by undermining modern subjectivism and moving toward its collapse, produces a pervasive and comprehensive ethical disorder that continues to intensify.
Postmodern nihilism denies all forms of fixed moral systems and rejects the very notion of binding ethical principles. It effectively dismisses the need for any moral framework in human life. This stands in contrast to Renaissance nihilism, which merely critiqued medieval ethical systems without entirely rejecting morality itself.
The degenerative crisis and chaos of postmodern nihilism signal the collapse of modern Western civilization and reflect a trajectory toward decline and eventual dissolution. It is deeply pessimistic, devoid of any constructive vision, and marked by despair, anxiety, exhaustion, and meaninglessness.
The main components of postmodern nihilism can be summarized as follows:
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Postmodern nihilism is the final stage in the evolution of humanistic nihilism, characterized by a self-destructive nature.
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It profoundly destabilizes and ultimately denies modern subjectivism.
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It rejects all forms of ethical systems, as well as belief in and commitment to morality itself.
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It creates serious disruption in the relationship between the individual (as a subjective, self-centered entity) and society, weakening the foundations of modern civil society. This crisis originates from the destabilization of subjectivism, which becomes more intense in its absurdist form.
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It fosters epistemological chaos, widespread relativism, and a form of neo-sophistry fundamentally different from that of the Renaissance.
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It promotes meaninglessness, relativism, the collapse of frameworks, and the dominance of epistemological and ethical anxiety (metaphysical anxiety), contributing to identity crises.
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It rejects all forms of belief, certainty, and stable ideological structures, often labeling them as dogmatism and subjecting them to ridicule and deconstruction.
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It denies the foundational assumptions of modernity, leading to a pervasive skepticism toward both theoretical and practical dimensions of the modern world. Its dominant feature is negation and destruction, which is why it can be described as self-destructive nihilism.
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In its concrete manifestation, postmodern nihilism has two major aspects:
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On one hand, it produces a complex, controlling yet inefficient and self-destructive totalitarian structure in the form of an expansive bureaucratic system, enforcing a kind of neoliberal totalitarianism.
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On the other hand, it appears as a relativistic, skeptical, and meaning-denying neo-sophistic approach that challenges and gradually dismantles all foundational elements of modern identity and existence. Ultimately, this process deepens self-destruction and leads to the collapse of both aspects of postmodern nihilism.
The fundamental features of postmodern nihilism can thus be described as the dominance of epistemological and ethical relativism, denial of absolute truth, rejection of the core identity of modernity, emergence of instability in foundational structures, prevalence of skepticism, collapse of subjectivity, and the spread of meaninglessness.
Postmodern nihilism gradually emerged in the late nineteenth century and reached full realization and dominance in the twentieth century. Over time, especially since the 1980s, its absurd dimension has become more pronounced, to the extent that absurd nihilism can now be seen as the dominant form governing the crisis-ridden postmodern condition. In this process, postmodern nihilism not only destroys itself but also contributes to the disintegration of the modern world and, ultimately, the broader trajectory of Western history.
Continues…
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References:
[1]. Subjectivism refers to the centrality of the human mind and perspective in determining truth and meaning.
