Nihilism
Melvyn Bragg explores the history of Nihilism, a philosophy associated with Nietzsche that claims truth and morality are illusory. Has anything positive come out of the philosophy of 鈥榥othing鈥?
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history of Nihilism. The nineteenth-century philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, wrote, 鈥淭here can be no doubt that morality will gradually perish: this is the great spectacle in a hundred acts reserved for the next two centuries in Europe鈥. And, with chilling predictions like these, 鈥楴ihilism鈥 was born. The hard view that morals are pointless, loyalty is a weakness and 鈥榯ruths鈥 are illusory, has excited, confused and appalled western thinkers ever since. But what happened to Nietzsche鈥檚 revolutionary ideas about truth, morality and a life without meaning? Existentialism can claim lineage to Nietzsche, as can Post Modernism, but then so can Nazism. With so many interpretations, and claims of ownership from the left and the right, has anything positive come out of the great philosopher of 鈥榥othing鈥?With Rob Hopkins, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Birmingham; Professor Raymond Tallis, Doctor and Philosopher; Professor Catherine Belsey, University of Cardiff.
Last on
Broadcasts
- Thu 16 Nov 2000 09:0291热爆 Radio 4
- Thu 16 Nov 2000 21:3091热爆 Radio 4
Featured in...
19th Century—In Our Time
Browse the 19th Century era within the In Our Time archive.
Philosophy—In Our Time
From Altruism to Wittgenstein, philosophers, theories and key themes.
In Our Time podcasts
Download programmes from the huge In Our Time archive.
The In Our Time Listeners' Top 10
If you鈥檙e new to In Our Time, this is a good place to start.
Arts and Ideas podcast
Download the best of Radio 3's Free Thinking programme.
Podcast
-
In Our Time
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas, people and events that have shaped our world.