Existential Nihilism and Children

In order to understand the philosophy that gives rise to this standpoint it is necessary to start with a few basic assumptions about the nature of life and the universe. The first of these assumptions is that all things (meaning the universe itself) are inherently neutral in nature1. The second is that the answers to such questions as “what is

1. This assumption is quite simply derived from the fact that all objects, and even (albeit somewhat arguably) all animals other than humans are devoid of any knowledge or even any concept of right and wrong. Without possessing this concept, all anything can ever be is neutral, neither right or wrong or good or evil. The argument goes something like: Hurricanes do not destroy houses and kill people because they are evil, but simply because that is all that a hurricane can do, and it has absolutely no ability to do otherwise. The same argument can be applied to all things which lack the ability to define “right” and “wrong” and it can then be said that all things which lack these concepts are inherently neitral, for they can be no other way.

Nietzsche, a German philosopher, also acknowledges the importance, and even the necessity of the individual’s freedom to choose his own opinions. In describing those people who simply believe whatever they are taught to believe, Nietzsche says, “I don't know either the way out or the way in; I am whatever doesn't know either the way out or the way in” (Nietzsche 3) This means that people who are indoctrinated into systems of belief as children do not understand how they came to believe what they believe, nor do they understand what it really means to believe in what they believe. Nietzsche goes on to accuse these people of “laziness” and “cowardice” for not choosing their own beliefs, but I feel (and I believe that Freud would agree) that it is not the people themselves who are at fault for this. Instead, it is the fault of the people who are supplying the beliefs and the easy answers in the first place. More simply, it is because of the parents, preachers, and educators that people grow up like this.

d “righteousness” (to name a few), the concept of freedom is not based off of a subjective interpretation of the universe, and thus can be said to have a certain degree of universal value within the bounds of mankind (Camus 48). This may also be seen through an extension of my earlier arguments. Whenever an individual performs an act which limits the freedom of another, they are, in a sense, asserting that their interpretation of the universe is more valid than that of the other person. As previously stated, this is an incorrect view to hold, and thus actions which limit the freedom of others are also incorrect. It becomes quite obvious that the act of forcing beliefs on others, regardless of age, is not a good thing to be doing.

The typical reaction of Christians when told that there is no god is first one of shock and disbelief (“How can you not believe in god? You know you’re going to go to hell, right?”), followed by disgust. It is obvious that these people are very closed-minded when it comes to philosophy, and it is also a fairly accurate assumption that closed-minded people do not question their beliefs or their reality frequently or deeply. From these observations it would seem that indoctrination of the youth produces closed-minded, intolerant people who have given up their freedom to choose, maybe to never truly regain it, in return for some quick and easy answers which were fed to them while they were still too young to question what they were being told. This certainly cannot be a healthy thing to be doing to children. Sartre himself voices his disapproval of this sort of individual:

A creed can be said to be “incorrect,” however, when it includes the belief or assumption that it is the one “true” way of looking at things. A creed may also be viewed as “incorrect” when it contains absolute examples of what is good, bad, right, and wrong. As stated before, the universe is a neutral entity, and as such, any creed that says that it has found a definition of right and wrong which applies universally is incorrect. Right and wrong simply do not exist from the universal s

Some topics in this essay:
, Christians Unless, Nietzsche German, Sigmund Freud, Amazing Sex, forcing beliefs, moral ethical, freedom choose, interpretations universe, systems belief, “best” children, life universe, believe whatever, beliefs children, human nature, forcing beliefs child, forcing beliefs regardless, “good” moral values, forcing beliefs children, act limits freedom,