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Dogmatism, Skepticism, Cynicism, and Nihilism

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Ethics, CHAPTERS 3 & 8

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Dogmatism is the stubborn refusal to consider challenges to your own ethical point of view.

When you are a dogmatist, you refuse to consider challenges to your beliefs, values, and actions.

Are you being dogmatic?

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There’s a difference between being convinced of

someone’s reasons through a sound argument and

being manipulated into accepting their reasons.

Know the why for your what!

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Prove it!

Skepticism: A philosophical

stance

An everyday attitude of doubting the truth of commonly held beliefs

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Skepticism…

A skeptical attitude toward ethical claims would require the “prove it” mentality…

It will help you in the three following ways:1. You will demand a reasoned account of others’

ethical claims

2. You will consider all points of view

3. You will not be swayed by partial considerations

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Religion and Science, Dogmatists and Skeptics…in VIDEO GAMES!

Cynicism (a Greek perspective)

Historically, Cynicism started as a philosophical movement in the 4th Century B.C. that lasted until the Fall of Rome.

Antisthenes, an associate of Socrates, is counted the 1st Cynic…

Rather than a school of philosophy, Cynicism refers to an informal group of philosophers with certain attitudes and unconventional behaviors…“Cynicism” > Taken from About.com

Cynicism…

“…the highest good of a human life was to fulfill basic, natural needs. As such, Cynics rejected the argument that humans needed to be concerned with social conventions and conformity.”

“…the Cynics …questioned everything, whether that be rules, laws, sciences, "gods", or social norms.”

Cynicism…

“I am Diogenes the Dog. I nuzzle the kind, bark at the greedy and bite scoundrels.”

Main cynical beliefs: people are generally selfish and dishonest!

Cynicism today

Cynicism: an attitude of doubt directed against moral beliefs, practices, and institutions.

Cynic: a person who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting for honorable or unselfish reasons.

Nihilism

From the Latin root nihil, “nothing”, “that which does not exist.” This same root is found in the verb

“annihilate”: to bring to nothing, to destroy completely.

The term “nihilism” was coined by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) to express the rejection of all religious and moral principles.

Nietzsche and Nihilism…

In Will to Power [notes 1883-1888], Nietzsche writes,

“Every belief, every considering something true, is necessarily false because there is simply

no true world.”

For Nietzsche, there is no objective order or structure in the world except what we give it.

So…

Nihilism is the belief which: labels all values as worthless associates itself with extreme

pessimism and a radical skepticism

It is often seen as the belief that life is meaningless.

Nihilism…

The objective of nihilism manifests itself in several perspectives: Epistemological nihilism denies the possibility of

knowledge and truth, and is linked to extreme skepticism. Political nihilism advocates the prior destruction of all

existing political, social, and religious orders as a prerequisite for any future improvement.

Ethical nihilism (moral nihilism) rejects the possibility of absolute moral or ethical values. Good and evil are vague, and related values are simply the result of social and emotional pressures.

Existential nihilism, the most well-known view, affirms that life has no intrinsic meaning or value.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES:

Apple Dictionary

http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/general/bldef_cynicism.htm

http://atheism.about.com/u/ua/atheismhistory/Favorite-Ancient-Greek-Philosopher.htm

http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/cynicism

http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/nihilism.htm

http://www.cartoonstock.com/