An international peer-reviewed open access journal dedicated to the philosophy of life, death, and nature, supported by the Project of Philosophy and Contemporary Society, Advanced Research Center for Human Sciences, Waseda University

Home > List of Articles > This article

The Deep Personal Resonance of Nihilism

Tracy Llanera

Journal of Philosophy of Life Vol.7, No.1 (July 2017):81-91

Abstract

This article examines two concerns that accompany James Tartaglia’s claims about nihilism in Philosophy in a Meaningless Life. The first concern involves Tartaglia’s narrow conception of nihilism. His view is that nihilism is practically neutral. In response, I explore how practical consequences are integral to both the general understanding of the problem of nihilism and his own interpretation of the concept. The second concern involves a tension in Tartaglia’s distinction between practical consequences and the deep personal resonance of nihilism. As a reply, I explain how the notion of deep personal resonance could be interpreted as a practical consequence. The article concludes by questioning the motivation to justify the neutrality of nihilism.

[PDF] [Repository] Open Access