Nihilism — From Latin nihil (“nothing”). A position denying the existence of objective values, truths, or meanings. Nietzsche diagnoses nihilism as the consequence of the “death of God” — the collapse of the metaphysical and moral foundations that sustained Western civilization. Passive nihilism is resignation and pessimism; active nihilism is creative destruction opening space for new values. For Nietzsche, overcoming nihilism requires the creation of values (the Overman, the will to power).
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