Most significant problems of contemporary life have their
origins in nihilism and its paradoxical logic, which is
simultaneously destructive to and constitutive of society. Yet, in
social theory, nihilism is a surprisingly under-researched
topic.
This book develops a systematic account of nihilism in its four
main forms: escapism, radical nihilism, passive nihilism and
'perfect nihilism.' It focuses especially on the disjunctive
synthesis between passive nihilism (the negation of the will) and
radical nihilism (the will to negation), between the
hedonism/disorientation that characterizes the contemporary
post-political culture and the emerging forms of despair and
violence as a reaction to it.
The book deals with nihilism at three levels. First, it
addresses the genealogy and consequences of nihilism, which is
followed by an excursus through film analysis. Then the book
focuses on the 'social, ' relating nihilism to capitalism,
post-politics and terrorism. Another excursus fleshes out the
theoretical argumens by focusing on Houellebecq's fiction. Finally,
the possibilities of overcoming nihilism are considered by
emphasizing the significance of concepts such as event, agonism and
antagonism in this context.
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