Moral nihilism
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Moral nihilism is the philosophy or ideology that there are no such things as right, wrong, good, or evil. It contends that moral statements are neither true nor false. It is the diametric perspective of moral absolutism and also distinguished from moral relativism. Moral nihilism is closely related to moral skepticism, which is a term more frequently used in contemporary philosophy.
Niccolò Machiavelli is sometimes presented as a model of moral nihilism, but that is highly questionable. His book Il Principe (The Prince) was silent on moral matters, which shocked a European tradition that throughout the Middle Ages had inculcated moral lessons in its political philosophies. But silence about morality is not tantamount to outright nihilism. Machiavelli does say that the Prince must override moral reasons in favor of power-maintaining reasons of State, but he also says, particularly in his other works, that the successful ruler should be guided by Pagan, rather than Christian virtues. Hence, Machiavelli presents an alternative to the ethical theories of his day, rather than an all-out rejection of all morality. Closer to being an example of moral nihilism is Thrasymachus, as he is portrayed in Plato's Republic. Thrasymachus can, however, be interpreted as offering a revisionary account of justice, rather than a total rejection of morality and normative discourse.
Similarly, nihilism should not be equated with non-cognitivism or emotivism. These are doctrines about the meaning or function of moral language, and as such they are compatible with acknowledgement of moral value. Many non-cognitivists and emotivists acknowledge the existence of moral truths and values, but maintains that it is not the function of moral discourse to refer to such truths. Its function is, rather, to express feelings of approval or disapproval, and to recommend similar feelings to others.
Nihilism is perhaps most strikingly defended by the fictional character Bazarov, in Ivan Turgenev's novel Fathers and Sons.
