Nihilism is the worldview that is perhaps most opposite to the belief of Christian Theism. In this particular worldview, God is ultimately dead, reality and morals are meaningless, and everything is subjective. In essence, Nihilism is more of a feeling than it is a philosophy. Not only that, but is it impossible to live a consistent life according to this worldview as everything revolves around subjectivism and chaos.
Nihilism takes postmodernism a step further as it claims that absolutely nothing is valid in life or the world. Unfortunately, this worldview collapses in on itself as its philosophy is dependent on the claim that all is subjective and without structure. How is it then that we have things like science and law? Since nihilism rejects the validity of everything and considers reality absurd, there should not even be a societal structure. There should be no family, holidays, schools, or religious institutions. Nihilism is self contradictory as it does not reflect the nature of how things actually are. Instead, it comes across as a hypothetical worldview, one that cannot actually be lived out.
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Regarding moral values, since nihilists believe that there is no such thing as absolute morality, why is it that people do good? How do they know right from wrong? What makes society commend people like firefighters for noble, heroic actions? If society were to run according to nihilism, there would be no justice system and no reason to put anyone away for horrendous crimes. No one could live safely because there would be no protection due to lack of law.
When it comes to nihilism in movies and entertainment, perhaps nothing depicts this worldview more clearly or more accurately than "The Dark Knight."In Christopher Nolan’s film, Batman faces his most unpredictable and evil nemesis, the Joker. Philosophically speaking, "The Dark Knight" is a battle between ultimate good, why life matters, and nihilism. The character of Batman believes in the good in people and that life matters. Therefore, he will never kill any of his opponents. The Joker, on the other hand, believes that nothing matters and that chaos is the only way to do anything. He exhibits this by burning money and killing thoughtlessly. Not only that, but the Joker tells a different story each time about how he “got his scars” right before killing a victim. This directly exhibits the nihilistic belief that “reality is ultimately absurd” as the truth behind his scars is never revealed. In the final scene between Batman and the Joker, the Joker states that he and Batman are two forces that cannot exist without each other. This statement also reflects nihilism as the worldview claims that the world is an interplay of forces with no structure or end. Batman and the Joker will never kill each other because in the Joker’s mind, one of them cannot exist without the other.
From a Christian perspective, not only can nihilism not be lived out consistently, it also goes against Christian values like hope, love, absolute moral truth, and sanctity of life. To the nihilist, God is dead while the Christian believes that God is alive and active in the world. As a Christian, while I agree that subjective truths do exist, I do not believe that all truth is subjective. Other than that, I do not believe in the validity of any other part of nihilism. My Christian worldview is founded on the need for and belief in a Savior, that good and justice are what keeps society intact, and that all life is precious.
