Nietzschean Nihilism

Abstract

In centuries, the term has been used to refer to idealism, but also to materialism; to Christianity, but also to atheism; to solipsism, but also to pantheism; and, for good measure, to the likes of pessimism and skepticism. The Nietzschean term that suggests itself for the resulting position is complete but that term must be used with care. One might then expect that subspecies of nihilism would tend to fall within the genus of nihilism. The context in which Nietzsche mentions the nihilism of adiaphora reveals that it is another form of passive nihilism; but Nietzsche suggests that there is in adiapboria an ambiguity similar to the one he finds in radical nihilism: adiaphoria may be a sign of weakness or of strength. According to GM III 28, all ascetic ideals are attempts to shut the door in the face of all suicidal nihilism, all attempt to make suffering meaningful.