Nihilism is the philosophical stance that accepts the absurdity of life, or—in simpler terms—the rejection of accepted values and beliefs. It holds that life does not have any inherent purpose or meaning and proposes instead that life is ultimately meaningless. Nihilists are philosophical skeptics who draw from a variety of sources to make their arguments, including agnostic thought, existentialism, nihilistic existentialists, and various interpretations of Buddhism and Eastern philosophies. By looking beyond traditional religious and social dogmas, Nihilists question the practicality and legitimacy of established beliefs and conventions. The ultimate goal is to arrive at a state of complete freedom from any obligations beyond one’s own will.

See also: evolution, free will, emergence