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Nihilism vs Egoism - What's the difference?

nihilism | egoism |

In ethics terms the difference between nihilism and egoism

is that nihilism is the rejection of inherent or objective moral principles while egoism is the belief that moral behavior should be directed toward one's self-interest only.

As nouns the difference between nihilism and egoism

is that nihilism is a philosophical doctrine grounded on the negation of one or more meaningful aspects of life while egoism is the tendency to think selfishly with exclusive self-interest in mind.

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

    egoism

    English

    Noun

  • The tendency to think selfishly with exclusive self-interest in mind.
  • (ethics) The belief that moral behavior should be directed toward one's self-interest only.
  • (nonstandard, by confusion of the similar words) egotism
  • Synonyms

    * (tendency to think of self) selfishness

    Antonyms

    * (tendency to think of self) altruism

    See also

    * ethnocentrism * misanthropy (hatred of human race) * narcissism