1 the belief that nothing has any meaning or value
2 the idea that all social and political institutions should be destroyed
- ‘A nihilist,’ pronounced Nikolay Petrovich. ‘That comes from the Latin nihil, nothing, in so far as I can make out. So the word must mean a man who… who acknowledges nothing, mustn’t it?’ (Turgenev - Fathers and Sons)
- Together with our communities, we can explore the possibility of moral reform. The flexibility of morality does not condemn us to an anything-goes moral nihilism. It frees us from intolerance and moral stagnation and allows us to improve on what we have. (Prinz - Human nature)