Benjamin Cain
Nov 13, 2024

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"Nihilism" can certainly mean different things. Western nihilism might indeed presuppose self-interest and a resentful rejection of an inhuman world. But the basic point is the recognition of reality's moral emptiness. Buddhists, too, talk about the emptiness of all things: they're empty of any essence that corresponds to a simplistic conception--and that includes any moral conception. Hence, the enlightened Buddhist should be unattached to moral desires, which makes morality (compassion, selflessness, etc) vacuous. That amounts to the essence of nihilism.

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Benjamin Cain
Benjamin Cain

Written by Benjamin Cain

Ph.D. in philosophy / Knowledge condemns. Art redeems. / https://benjamincain.substack.com / https://ko-fi.com/benjamincain / benjamincain8@gmailDOTcom

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