Nihilism, << NY uh lihz uhm, >> is the name used for a variety of extreme, negative philosophical and political views. The term nihilism comes from a Latin word meaning nothing. The most radical nihilist would deny that anything exists. A slightly less radical view, usually called skepticism, denies that anything can be known.
Nihilism is most commonly understood as the view that no absolute values exist. The Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky challenged this view in his novel The Brothers Karamazov (1879-1880). He wrote that if no God existed, then everything would be permitted. He argued that belief in God was necessary for believing in any absolute values.
The term nihilist first came into popular use during the mid-1800’s in Russia. It applied to radical opponents of the czar, some of whom committed terrorist acts against the government. Used more broadly, nihilism referred to any extreme challenge to authority. The Russian author Ivan Turgenev portrayed a nihilist in his novel Fathers and Sons. This character believes in reason and a scientific conception of the world, but he rejects traditional religious beliefs and moral values.
