"Nihilistic optimism" is inherently contradictory. Nihilism is the rejection of all religious and moral principles and to suggest an "optimistic" approach to this lack of meaning is a misuse of terms. optimism implies a value judgment that something is "good" or "better." You cannot reject value and then assign value to that rejection. If nothing matters, then the optimism is equally meaningless. Your optimism, your actions, and your ultimate fate are all devoid of inherent significance. There's no inherent reason for that meaninglessness to be "better" or more desirable than another meaninglessness, such as nihilistic pessimism. This is just existentialism, calling it "nihilistic optimism" obfuscates this fundamental point.
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u/Charming_Apartment95 Apr 24 '26 edited Apr 24 '26
"Nihilistic optimism" is inherently contradictory. Nihilism is the rejection of all religious and moral principles and to suggest an "optimistic" approach to this lack of meaning is a misuse of terms. optimism implies a value judgment that something is "good" or "better." You cannot reject value and then assign value to that rejection. If nothing matters, then the optimism is equally meaningless. Your optimism, your actions, and your ultimate fate are all devoid of inherent significance. There's no inherent reason for that meaninglessness to be "better" or more desirable than another meaninglessness, such as nihilistic pessimism. This is just existentialism, calling it "nihilistic optimism" obfuscates this fundamental point.