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Materialism vs Nihilism - What's the difference?

materialism | nihilism |

In philosophy|lang=en terms the difference between materialism and nihilism

is that materialism is (philosophy) the philosophical belief that nothing exists beyond what is physical while nihilism is (philosophy) a philosophical doctrine grounded on the negation of one or more meaningful aspects of life.

As nouns the difference between materialism and nihilism

is that materialism is constant concern over material possessions and wealth; a great or excessive regard for worldly concerns while nihilism is (philosophy) a philosophical doctrine grounded on the negation of one or more meaningful aspects of life.

materialism

Noun

  • Constant concern over material possessions and wealth; a great or excessive regard for worldly concerns.
  • * Buckminster
  • The irregular fears of a future state had been supplanted by the materialism of Epicurus.
  • (philosophy) The philosophical belief that nothing exists beyond what is physical.
  • (obsolete, rare) Material substances in the aggregate; matter.
  • Synonyms

    * (philosophy) physicalism * (philosophy) philosophical materialism

    Antonyms

    * (philosophy) idealism

    Derived terms

    * philosophical materialism

    See also

    * idealism * physicalism

    nihilism

    English

    Noun

  • (philosophy) A philosophical doctrine grounded on the negation of one or more meaningful aspects of life.
  • (ethics) The rejection of inherent or objective moral principles.
  • (politics) The rejection of non-rationalized or non-proven assertions in the social and political spheres of society.
  • (politics, historical) A Russian movement of the 1860s that rejected all authority and promoted the use of violence for political change.
  • The belief that all endeavors are ultimately futile and devoid of meaning.
  • "...the band members sweat hard enough to earn their pretensions, and maybe even their nihilism " (rock critic Dave Marsh, reviewing the band XTC's album Go )
  • Contradiction (not always deliberate) between behavior and espoused principle, to such a degree that all possible espoused principle is voided.
  • The deliberate refusal of belief, to the point that belief itself is rejected as untenable.
  • Derived terms

    * (l) * (l)

    Synonyms

    * (belief that all endeavours are void ) fatalism