nihilism

/ˈnaɪɪlɪzəm/

/ˈnaɪɪlɪzəm/

Other forms: nihilisms

If you're one of those people who believe there's nothing worth believing in, your doctrine is nihilism. In philosophy, nihilism is the complete rejection of moral values and religious beliefs.

It is such a negative outlook that it denies any meaning or purpose in life. In political theory, nihilism is carried to an even greater extreme, arguing for the destruction of all existing political and social institutions. The term nihilism was borrowed from German Nihilismus, since the doctrine was developed by the German philosopher Friedrich Jacobi. The German word is formed from Latin nihil, "nothing" plus the suffix –ismus, "a doctrine or theory."

Definitions of nihilism

1. noun

   complete denial of all established authority and institutions
   type of:

   anarchy, lawlessness

   a state of lawlessness and disorder (usually resulting from a failure of government)
2. noun

   a revolutionary doctrine that advocates destruction of the social system for its own sake
   type of:

   doctrine, ism, philosophical system, philosophy, school of thought

   a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school
3. noun

   the delusion that things (or everything, including the self) do not exist; a sense that everything is unreal
   synonyms: nihilistic delusion

   type of:

   delusion, psychotic belief

   (psychology) an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary