Political nihilism is a branch of nihilism that follows the characteristic nihilist's rejection of non-rationalized or non-proven assertions, in this case the necessity of the most fundamental social and political structures, such as government, family or even law and law enforcement.
In some ways this belief links loosely to a libertarian social anarchy, but there is less disagreement amongst political nihilists about the value, necessity or permissibility of certain social phenomena like capitalism and democracy than there is amongst libertarian social anarchists. It is a common aspect of political nihilism to blame the presence of these phenomena for mankind's shortcomings and hardship, and therefore these are essentially done away with entirely. An important sub-branch of political nihilism advocates a dissolution of the current power systems, as in the previously described political nihilism, but then asserts the need for new systems to be remade from scratch.
Read more about Political Nihilism: History of Political Nihilism, See Also
Famous quotes containing the words political and/or nihilism:
“We assume that politicians are without honor. We read their statements trying to crack the code. The scandals of their politics: not so much that men in high places lie, only that they do so with such indifference, so endlessly, still expecting to be believed. We are accustomed to the contempt inherent in the political lie.”
—Adrienne Rich (b. 1929)
“All roads are blocked to a philosophy which reduces everything to the word no. To no there is only one answer and that is yes. Nihilism has no substance. There is no such thing as nothingness, and zero does not exist. Everything is something. Nothing is nothing. Man lives more by affirmation than by bread.”
—Victor Hugo (18021885)