Beyond Nihilism

“Do not go gentle into that good night.” - Dylan Thomas, poet

I’ve written before that Albert Camus is my favorite philosopher. Of course, we differ on some things; for example, he was a strong atheist, while I’m a hard polytheist. Otherwise, I agree with the vast majority of his views.

Albert Camus

 

A central element of his philosophy was how we should respond to what he perceived to be the lack of meaning in the universe. Camus didn’t see a universe infused with meaning as others, such as most Greek philosophers and Christian theologians, saw. He perceived no fingerprint of God upon the world. Camus found the Cosmic silence deafening.

Camus decided that the silent universe, paradoxically, gave us a message. The universe, including us, lack inherent meaning.

He wasn’t the first to come to this conclusion. Existentialist writers like Sartre had similar results when they looked at the Cosmos. On this point, they agreed.

However, Camus differed in several important details from the existentialists. One difference was that Sartre believed one could give one’s life meaning. Camus said that this was futile. One could not grant oneself meaning in a meaningless universe.

Camus then asked what choice do we have if our lives are meaningless? He said we have three choices: self-destruction, blind faith, or revolt. Neither self-destruction nor blind faith is an acceptable choice, according to Camus, for they both involve surrender.

Our only choice is to revolt. 

Our revolution begins by embracing the uncomfortable truth that our lives lack meaning and that it’s impossible to grant them such. To seek meaning in a meaningless universe is absurd (hence, the name of his philosophy is Absurdism). 

We must then accept that this lack of meaning isn’t a negative but is liberating. This lack of meaning gives us the freedom to live our lives as we see fit. Doing so can make our lives meaningful to us, even though our lives lack meaning. 

Nihilism is not the end goal. Instead, nihilism is the key to opening the door to freedom. In his book The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus wrote, “even within the limits of nihilism, it is possible to proceed beyond nihilism.” 

Don’t get trapped in nihilism. Move beyond nihilism and embrace life.

What I’m Working On

I thought I would take a break from my usual posts and share those projects and interests that I’m currently involved on.

WitchCon Online 2023

I’m preparing to give a presentation on March 5th at 3:15 CT at WitchCon Online titled “Exploring Dark Paganism.” The course description:

“In this workshop, I introduce Dark Paganism, a deeply personal and individualized philosophy focusing on transformation and shadow work. I guide the participants through the nine Dark Pagan principles, which help develop a version of yourself flourishing in all you do. From self-knowledge and acceptance to magick and environmental mastery, these principles show how to build confidence, trust yourself, and create a meaningful life. I’ll also delve into Dark Pagan ethics and building a Dark Pagan lifestyle.”

Registration for WitchCon is limited to only 1,000 attendees. So register now and reserve your spot!

A Second Blog

Soon I’ll be launching a second blog titled “Dark Matters.” This blog will focus on my observations, primarily about dark aesthetics and subculture. I’ll certainly link it from my current blog when it goes live.

An example of Dark Academia aesthetics

Dark/ Gothic/ Witchy Dark Academia

One of the current trends I’m intrigued by is Dark Academia. I’m especially interested in its variants, Gothic Academia and Witchy Dark Academia. Dark Academia started as a TikTok trend, and its popularity seems to grow daily. 

According to the Aesthetic Wiki website: 

“Dark Academia is a popular (and the original) academic aesthetic that revolves around classic literature, the pursuit of self-discovery, and a general passion for knowledge and learning.”

Dark Academia romanticizes learning, and much of its fiction takes place in educational settings, usually Ivy League. According to The YouTuber Leonie on The Book of Leo channel, there are five core components to Dark Academia literature: An Outsider Joins, Academic Studies, Obsession, Death, and Critique. Leonie also lists a less common sixth element as Supernatural/ Occult. This sixth element is essential in Gothic and Witchy Dark Academia subgroups.

The aesthetics of Dark Academia tends to be, as the name implies, dark. Autumn and winter dominate. It’s also very Eurocentric, with gothic architecture and Victorian artwork. This style is both a blessing and a curse since, while I find it very appealing, it also carries imperialist and racist baggage. The Dark Pagan clothing style is a fusion of the 1930s and 40s with modern elements emphasizing tweed and sweaters, a style I’ve been wearing for years. Color palettes tend to be brown, black, gray, and burgundy.  

Albert Camus

I’m re-reading John Foley’s excellent work Albert Camus: From the Absurd to Revolt. Of all the various classic and contemporary philosophers, Albert Camus is my favorite. Anyone who’s read my book The Philosophy of Dark Paganism will see Camus’s influence all over my school of Dark Paganism. I highly recommend Foley’s book.