Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi coined the term 'nihilism' in 1799, critiquing philosophy's reliance on the principle of sufficient reason (PSR). He argues that this demand for total intelligibility denies the intrinsic capacities and properties necessary for individual freedom and purposiveness. By asserting that all properties depend on external conditions, philosophy effectively negates individuality, leading to nihilism—a belief that denies both God and the world as mere constructions. Jacobi also characterizes nihilism as a 'fatalism', exposing the consequences of an unexamined academic rigor that dismisses the essence of human agency.
Jacobi argues that philosophy's insistence on total intelligibility through the principle of sufficient reason leads to nihilism by denying the intrinsic properties of individuals.
He maintains that if all properties are contingent upon external conditions, individual freedom and purposiveness that define humanity are ultimately negated, resulting in nihilism.
Collection
[
|
...
]