@Pythagorean,
Pythagorean, Dexter78,
"It's true that rapidly evolving tech-knowledge and tech applications have an enormous impact on all of society. But, I would ask what good is technology if people are becoming so ignorant to life,and ignorant even as to the underlying "good" of their own societies? Here arises the need for schools to re-state and re-examine how to educate such a fast-paced technological society as to the natural meanings of things and the investigation of human nature apart from material desire. But the schools refuse to teach the necessary lessons."
The above is a great concern,but I think it is only part of a greater complex.Truth the way I see it is,humanity is just along for the ride,there is no real control.Someone famous once said,"he who has no self-control, has no control whatsoever."Is this the negativity of a nihilist,I don't think so,I may feel powerless,but I am not blind.What is authority to do without the old landmarks of standards and values these have been destroyed,its a post modern education in a post modern culture.They are as confused as the rest of us.
"You say there is no guiding mythology. But there is a replacement: and that is the progressive nihilistic ideology."
Pythagorean,could you expand upon this progressive nihilistic ideology,I take it,it is not a vehicle to overcome nihilism,what then is it?
Perhaps it will be said at some future time,that this era was just stressed out from change.Things are moving to fast, but sooner or later they will slow down,and like a people founding a new land, people will again make sacred what is most familar to them,their own environment.
"As someone who talks about Nihilism maybe you can answer me a question Boagie: Is it possible for a Nihilist to tell people that certain things are evil? And which are the wisest choices for them? Can a Nihilist affirm traditional values? Are there any values that Nihilism can affirm that might save society?"
This is a leading question,I hope I can rise to the occasion.I can only speak for myself from the prospective of nihilism.Can a nihilist tell people that certain things are evil-----no,not if by evil the Christian connotations of evil go with it.Even if one cannot claim objective truth,the subjective truth is,I like this,I do not like this.To do this would be wise,or to do this would be unwise.
Everyday wise choices are decerned by the body,if the body and mind are healthy,the individual, particularly if given choices will chose wisely.Nihilism is not something one lives with 24/7 and can easily support most traditional values.It is a bit like the knowledge of your own mortality,sometimes we might dwell upon it,it may even modivate,but most of the time we are just to busy living the life to ponder upon it to long.
Does nihilism have a saving grace,well it might.You have to admit this old world is in trouble,I mean over population,degradation of the environment ect..,I have read that much of this trouble could have been avoided by simply changeing our prospective.We do not think wholelistically,we do not think respectfully,the science we were brought up with talks about disected parts,and understanding comes from reductionism.
There is a new displine on the scene,general systems theory,which among other things,it is unifying the sciences.This is a marvelous journey if you decide to take it,it will show you systems within systems within systems,to infinity or as far as we can presently reach.It is understanding wholeness,one can never fully understand the possiablities of wholeness useing the old method of the science of parts.At anyrate when studying systems it is apparent everything is process,everything arises from relational process.I believe nihilism underscores this simply because it leaves nothing else standing---personally I do not think it a small gift,but I must admit,it is only a feeling that it is profound.
Think for just a moment,every aspect of your life,every deed and/or misadventure,indeed all reality is founded on one thing,relational process.Maybe this will stir a change in the male population,the ladies have been clued into this for sometime,it is all about relationship guys.This relationalism is systems theory,it can be applied to every science,to all things in this life,and it is offered to you in the cupped hands of nihilism-----drink!
When unexpected things arise from the interrelations of holons the emergent wonder is life and the future---general systems theory.