In defense of nihilism

quote:

---

He could just as easily play both sides of the coin in relation to a belief in God. He could 'believe' there is a God and have all the benefits that would come with that (in that he is free to design a God that suits him - just as with he can with morals).

---

This is no different from believers. Each one chooses to believe in a version of god that suits them...they even have different churches with radically different beliefs (protestants, catholics, mormons etc.)..and each group chooses the "morals" they wish to follow so that you have Xians who say peace is moral, war is moral, slavery is moral, slavery is immoral. It is completely arbitrary...it is certainly a more arrogant stance than nihlism.

quote:

---

As I pointed out to Robin (Robinihilism anybody?), a nihilist cannot live as if there are no objective morals

---

Of course a nihlist can do this. Every major religions does this..they merely proclaim they possess objective morals and then proceed to arbitrarily and non-objectively define them...and redefine them..and change them..yet call them "absolute" nonetheless.

quote:

---

Robin agreed with this. And he would I think, agree that the nihilist is completely free to chose whatever value system he likes for himself

---

As does every religious system..they choose whatever value system serves them..and are completely free to...though it usually involves killing off those who disagree with them, but that is a different issue.

quote:

---

I don't see how one differs from the other in that sense.

---

One requires positive evidence, the other does not.

quote:

---

My point was that the one offered at least hope of an afterlife. So if one was going to chose when there is no concrete evidence apparent to the person, why chose the hopeless option?

---

Besides failing to see the appeal of an afterlife for which there is no evidence (and the waste of time dreaming about it when one should probably enjoy the life they DO have), why is lack of an afterlife a hopeless option? It is also incumbent on those who say there is an afterlife to convince me that there is one. There is no evidence for one and I choose not believe in fantasies, and I am far from feeling hopeless.