Staring at the night sky after a terrible day and thinking none of this matters puts you in touch with one of the most misunderstood families of philosophy. This episode unpacks nihilism, from the Latin nihil, and carefully separates it from pessimism, cynicism, and apathy using a simple glass of water. We then explore existential and cosmic nihilism, the empty theater with no script and no director, and how the scientific revolution's discoveries by Copernicus and Darwin removed the medieval script that once assigned everyone a place.

From there we compare the responses: Schopenhauer's ascetic retreat, Nietzsche's active nihilism as a sledgehammer to clear the lot, Sartre's existence precedes essence, and Camus' absurdist rebellion. We move into moral nihilism and the distinction between obligations and permissions, the Russian nihilist mo ...