No, there will always be those who argue that subjectivity is actually a surrender to nihilism because it prevents us from discovering any "real" values out there in the world to orient ourselves and our morals. But moreover, some of the thinkers would argue that God is unnecessary to finding Objective meaning to begin with, particularly Secular Humanists like Gene Roddenberry who would argue that the answer to the question lies in human nature or the human condition, not God. Or even that it misunderstands the nature of meaning.ChiggyvonRichthofen wrote: ↑Sun Apr 07, 2019 12:52 pm I think if you differentiate between objective and subjective meaning, then we can get all you atheists on the same page. In the popular sense of the term, nihilism entails a lack of objective meaning, not subjective purpose. From an outsider's perspective, it would seem difficult for an atheist to argue for objective meaning (and many wouldn't care to), hence the connection between atheism and nihilism. It doesn't mean you have no personal values or are required to be an angsty first year philosophy student.
Of course there may be more rigorous, specific definitions of nihilism, different types depending on the philosophical field, etc.
For instance, one of the lesser known Existentialists, the psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, argued that it isn't a lack of Objective meaning in the world that drives people nuts or to Nihilistic viewpoints, but the opposite: that Meaning is infinite in nature, but a finite human mind cannot fully comprehend infinities by necessity. So we tend to come to mistaken conclusions on the matter-- even those who do believe in God. Now, Frankl was a practicing Jew, but the point isn't necessarily theological. What we are often trying to comprehend are possibilities, but possibility space is demonstrably infinite. If you look back on the past, there are an infinite number of alternate histories you can consider. And looking into the future has the same problem. But those possibilities can be considered, in some sense, to be real. It takes skill to home in on the relevant or likely possibilities in order to not be overwhelmed. We have a limited understanding, and that's the point. We can't rule out there being an Objective meaning to life, and what we think is Subjective might not be. It might just be part of something larger we just can't comprehend yet, and that doesn't necessarily have to be God. Its best to go through life skeptical of Nihilism even if you don't know, because you may never know, and that's fine because you are only human.
