#8 - Optimistic Nihilism

It’s the season one finale (so to speak). Geoff Allen presents a rather optimistic claim: ‘Reality is objectively meaningless, but that’s kind of a nice thing!’

Nihilism is the view that meaning does not exist (externally) – that meaning is not attainable or measurable according to any (external) X, Y or Z – and this has positive implications for human beings!

Who are the pessimistic nihilists who would prefer some fixed, prescriptive morality to be imposed from the outside? Is that alternative really better? (For further incredulity, continue reading…)

What on Earth are these pessimists lamenting? Would they really prefer if meaning was externally dictated?

Nihilism means that it is just us: one terrestrial ecosystem. We are bound together and marooned on this rather lush rock. When we take this outlook, we become pleasantly focused on the real issues at stake.

Life is incredibly improbable and, yet, here we are. We’re kind of in this together. Feel the optimism, folks!

A bibliography for each episode is available here: https://geoffallenwriting.wordpress.com/2020/10/06/extrapolator-bibliography/

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