Is atheism automatically nihilism?

If someone is an atheist who positively believes that there is no god, and that life is meaningless or "just an accident" - then why is there any incentive to care about anything?

Even if you use the argument that "animals including humans" are naturally cooperative that still only explains moral behavior on a sub-rational level.

Do you think someone like Ghandi would have done what they did if they believed that life was meaningless, or that it is a "bad place" because "people die"?

 

Would you want to leave a bad world for your children? Just because Atheists don't believe in a god doesn't mean they don't want to improve the world for the next generation. Or even for themselves. An Atheist walking through a park every day has an incentive to keep it clean. So he volunteers to clean the park. The park is clean (for everyone) and he himself has the self-satisfaction of helping everyone else out.

 

Atheism doesn't necessitate nihilism. Similarly, there are many who will claim to be nihilists but aren't really. That being said, if one truly accepts nihilism, there is just as little incentive to _not_ care about anything as there is _to_ care about anything. Inability to see the meaning of something is not the same as seeing the meaning in rejecting it.

The existential nihilism of Sartre, as well as absurdism and most other ways of dealing with meaning allows one to make up one's own meaning. Sartre said existence precedes meaning, ie, the fact that there isn't an eternal, fundamental meaning does not mean that one can produce one. The different schools of ideas, as well as more modern ones deal with the details in slightly different ways.

This is a bit of a messy post, there are so many people who believe different things, and who make distinctions between different concepts, that it's impossible to answer it in one way only.

 

If life is meaningless then why do "children" matter? If a person would rather use drugs and let their children starve then why not do so?

 

I always wondered why this question seems to assume that self-serving, egomanical behavior is the norm and that deviation from this requires justification. Why not ask the question the other way and ask what the justification is for being greedy, assuming atheism is true? Because you are assuming that greed requires no justification; I feel the same way about compassion not needing justification.

 

Existentialists sum down to the one word, "Now."
Now Existentialists can look at life, and say, nothing has existed.
But they are already living in a society, now.

Now, society does matter, because seven institutions have been formed which protect us from both natural problems and wars and battles amongst ourselves.

This is important, now, because we realize that the Instinct for Survival is the one unchanging constant for us all.
We now exist because we all care, or ought care, for the seven institutions which found our society and protect us from a Reality which could make us extinct.
Those institutions matter to us all, now, in the past, and will, in the future.

- - - Updated - - -

Anyone who claims life doesn't matter will also say, suicide is not his option either.

 

Christianity more likely will if you believe your generation will be Raptured then why bother making the world better in your lifetime?

I would argue as an Agnostic Atheist I should make this world as far as I can a better place for the species, if we have children our children and try to make our species advance to be better since this is it for us. But we must live in the world and are social animals in a sophisticated society we have to try to get along with everyone or there are consequences including prison.

 

many atheist believe in a afterlife.... many Buddhists for example are Atheists

be like me putting all Theists under one brush....

Atheist just means you do not believe in a God, in the same way Theist just means you believe in a God

as for those that do not believe in a god and also do not believe in a afterlife, I suppose they believe they only have one life to live, live it the best they can

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very true, you can do good even if you don't believe some God is going to reward you for it later

 

not believing in a god does not equal life is meaningless, life may be meaningless to you if there is not God, but that is not true of everyone

some people need to believe in a God to give their life meaning, others do not, mere existence gives some peoples lives meaning, family gives many peoples lives meaning, the list goes on and on

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I learn a new word NIHILISM! thanks
Observing all the well known atheist such as Christopher Hitchens I would agree they are nihilist.

 

1) You are relying on anecdotes to make an unwarranted generalization
2) Hitchens was far from being a nihilist

 

Hmm, I assume you are not talking about compulsion but the rational basis for action.

Most people behave as they are socialized to, so atheist will behave like everyone else naturally. The reasons for positive behavior are based on ethics, and not much worth repeating as most people know them well. The underlying truth though is that the ethical logic is usually the weakest reason for adhering to that behavior. Peer pressure and societal expectations are the strongest motivator.

I am not sure though that belief in god is absolutely necessary for ones foundation to avoid nihilism. Maybe believing that everything else is just as real as oneself could function in the same way.

 

So we agree.
Men must accept the truth, that bad behavior gets punished, and a general social attitude can lead to destruction of the Nation.
That has been the Reality as far as the historical truth tells us.

 

There are actually only a dozen philosophies actively exercised by people.'
They are all useful and have appropriate places and times in every society when each can be exercised positively and usefully.

Jesus expressed a nihilistic philosophical out look, from a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that existence is sometimes senseless and useless.
Jesus said, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof:" [Matthew 6:34]

 

Atheist like Hitchens attack everything about the church including the good church people who work selflessness to help the poorest of the poor because in Hitchens view point it is useless to do good in the name of God.

 

The first half of this post, I don't understand.

Many philosophers and normal people alike reject a pure, simplistic adherence to evolutionary concepts as only normative basis, even if we accept their existence and origin in evolution. Of course institutions that makes us not kill one another are important, and even those who argue other lines of thoughts accept that to the point that it goes without saying.

 

You have to make up something to find a reason to care about living?

Really!

I don't make up fairy tale creatures and I care about a lot of things and have a great life.....gee, whatever am I doing wrong

 

The Existance of a God And the meaning of life are two separate things. Unless of course one believes the only possible meaning to life is to worship a God.

 

To get a nut, enjoy food, comfort, psychedelic experiences. I get the sense that certain pleasurable hormones are released when I spend time with my son. There are many motivations for a nihilist to do good.

Nihilists can be Christians or Muslims in the same day even. If it suits them. Atheists just don't believe in god. It doesn't make them nihilist.

 

So . . . you haven't read Hitchens then? I can only assume that since you are completely misrepresenting his views. Even if you were correct, it would not be the same thing as nihilism.

 

Hitchens is all over the TV even in his dying years he still insist in himself nothing else matters.

 

Hitchens is already dead, and he was a lifelong humanist that constantly fought against the notion that "nothing matters." And saying that nothing else (beyond this life) matters isn't nihilism.

 

I feel an innate sense of purpose and meaning in life without having to rationalise or formalise it, although I do go so far as to attribute it to basic instincts related to survival. Similarly, I have no desire to harm others for my own gain, though this again I would attribute to social instincts common to many mammals in particular (mammals - some more than others - are among the world's most mentally complex and social animals).

And I am content with this. I don't have any drive to find some more profound meaning in life - I can live it, and let others live theirs, regardless.

 

So what you're asking is why are we not selfish fools? It's in part that we are, but it's because we seek to find meaning in life. If children are our meaning, then we look after them. If drugs are our meaning, as destructive as it is, that's our meaning.