"Don’t worry, be happy” seems to be the motto of modern human beings. In his new book ‘Nihilism’ Nolen Gertz shows that nihilism is everywhere. In conversation with David van Overbeek this Assistant professor of applied ethics clarifies the concept and explains the urge of a book on nihilism in times of climate change, inequality, Trump and Brexit. What we call peace, is what philosophers have described as nihilism, according to Gertz. “I want to stay home with my family, watch tv, relax, be happy, have my car, have my vacation, have my retirement: then I have a happy live.” This means that politics is not my concern. It creates an increasingly peaceful appearance of the world. Gertz states however that with the greatest inequality and climate disaster of today, we cannot hide our head in the sand anymore, because the sand is on fire. Our way out of nihilism? Gertz’ concern with modern technology is that we seek therapeutic methods to avoid suffering, rather than facing ourselves. The solution lies in suffering, because that is where we see the need of making a change on a political scale instead of avoiding reality.
Gespreksonderwerpen
1:30 What is nihilism?
6:45 Why do humans engage in those kind of practices?
10:11 “Democratic institutions are not a safety against nihilism and against fascism.”
12:29 Is there something wrong with democratic institutions?
13:37 Nihilism is everywhere, how did we get here?
14:50 “After the atomic bomb the world has changed fundamentally”
20:19 “There is a fear of friction”
22:44 What does the success of series like Mad Men and Breaking Bad say about us?
27:47 “This can help to see the connection between nihilism and fascism”
30:11 Does it have to do with a lack of agency?
31:18 “Autonomy, where you get the idea of agency from, is an illusion.”
33:04 Why is this humanistic idea of humanity so important to you?
36:44 “Religion has a nihilistic aspect to it because of its other-worldliness.”
38:10 What is our way out of nihilism?
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Voor de Ommekeer TV is een initiatief van journalist Paul van Liempt, filosoof Ad Verbrugge en David van Overbeek. Het is onderdeel van platform Voor de Ommekeer, dat mensen uit verschillende disciplines bij elkaar brengt om na te denken over grote veranderingen die op komst zijn door een combinatie van snelle technologische ontwikkelingen en globalisering.
Voor de Ommekeer TV wordt gemaakt in samenwerking met de VU, centrum Ethos en FreedomLab.
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29 июл 2024
