Nihilism is a philosophical current centered on the concept of nothingness. Friedrich Nietzsche describes nihilism as the collapse of traditional values, starting from God and religion. What’s left are relics of the past, alongside a necessity for something new to take their place. Nietzsche’s nihilism creates a blank space in culture, which itself is inherently frightening.
Such a view stands in direct contrast with our history. Humanity as a whole has spent millennia seeking an ultimate purpose in living. Some religions, for example, see life as a way to reach the “afterlife”, associated with an eternity spent either in beatitude or suffering. Existence is spent under God’s gaze, but after his death what’s left?
Nihilism paves the way for another conception of life, one in which it is substantially meaningless. It is undeniably a tragic take on reality, especially compared to other ideas regarding death; however this idea is impossible to overlook. Having faith, seeing “what’s beyond”, is consequential to realizing how little we matter when compared to the vastness of existence. In a way, it can be viewed as a palliative, something to reassure ourselves.
To be an atheist is to live a “godless” life. The definition comes from the ancient Greek word “átheos” (a-“without” + theos “god”) and it describes anyone who chooses not to believe in religion and its doctrines. For centuries not being aligned with God, or the institutions preaching his words, meant cruel punishments. Devotion has always been taken for granted: everyone needs to believe in the otherworldly, if not they are obliged to do so.
Based solely on empirical observation we do not have a single proof regarding the existence of the otherworldly. We all have a body, inside of it our blood flows, our lungs breathe. Everything, including ourselves, is tangible. Why would something whose existence we can’t confirm be more relevant than what we can physically touch?
Blaise Pascal theorized the Pari, a wager regarding God’s existence. According to Pascal’s christian view, choosing to believe in God and to live according to his laws would be the best choice, even if we were to find out that he did not exist. In this sense, one chooses to bet on the most rewarding way of existing. But what if one chose not to gamble? How would an afterlife be more likely to exist than not to?
