WIE LEBEN WIR MIT DEM NIHILISMUS? NIETZSCHES NIHILISMUS AUS DER SICHT EINER AKTUELLEN PHILOSOPHIE DER ORIENTIERUNG

• Published in: Tijdschrift voor filosofie 2012-06, Vol.74 (2), p.319-338
• Main Author: Stegmaier, Werner
• Format: Article
• Language: ger
• ISSN: 1370-575X

The first part of this paper explores the course from sophistic nothingness over time, the paradox, the definite negation and fear (Angst) to the nothingness of nihilism. The second part describes the everyday dealings with nihilism in our human orientation. How much our orientation is exposed to nothingness and nihilism becomes apparent through the talk of 'hold' (Halt) in it, according to which we constantly are at risk of 'falling' (fallen) and 'decaying' (verfallen). The fear of disorientation, which might rise to despair and depression, which we want to avoid at all cost, drives the orientation. The threat of nihilism generally cannot be evaded; nothing definitely secures us from absolute uncertainty; it is the price of the leeways (Spielräume), which we have won over the last millennia in our orientation. Thus we can only work on uncertainty or, as Pascal concreted, work for it (travailler pour l'incertain). And for the most part that seems to succeed quite well. Our orientation works on nothingness, so that we can keep ourselves in it and usually live well with it.