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Xanax for the Philosopher's Soul: How to Stop Worrying About Nihilism
Xanax for the Philosopher's Soul: How to Stop Worrying About Nihilism
상세정보
- 자료유형
- 학위논문 서양
- 최종처리일시
- 20260202103700
- ISBN
- 9798314893272
- DDC
- 100
- 서명/저자
- Xanax for the Philosophers Soul: How to Stop Worrying About Nihilism
- 발행사항
- [Sl] : The Ohio State University, 2025
- 발행사항
- Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2025
- 형태사항
- 149 p
- 주기사항
- Source: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 86-11, Section: A.
- 주기사항
- Advisor: McPherson, Tristram.
- 학위논문주기
- Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Ohio State University, 2025.
- 초록/해제
- 요약This dissertation examines whether philosophical angst about nihilism-specifically nihilism about authoritative normativity-is a fitting emotional response. Authoritative nihilism holds that while generic normative standards exist, no normative standards have the special "oomphy" authority often attributed to morality, rationality, or other binding normative domains. Rather than attempting to refute nihilism, I investigate whether we should worry about it even if it were true. I begin by confronting the self-defeat argument, which suggests that if nihilism is true, then nihilism itself cannot be bad. This creates a puzzle: how can we even coherently ask whether nihilism's truth would be bad? I resolve this by reframing the question in terms of fittingness norms-standards that regulate emotions without requiring authoritative normativity. I argue that angst is fitting only when its object would be bad in some way we care about and when we either believe this object obtains or rationally suspend judgment about whether it does.In subsequent chapters, I demonstrate that nihilism would not undermine core human concerns. Chapter Two shows how our deliberative practices can be replaced with "schmeliberation"-a process that provides the same practical benefits as deliberation without assuming authoritative normativity. Chapter Three distinguishes between "nihilism-susceptible" and "nihilism-resistant" varieties of meaning in life, arguing that nihilism-resistant varieties (particularly terrestrial meaning) provide everything we instrumentally value about meaning. Throughout, I employ a general strategy of identifying replacements for practices that seem to require authoritative normativity, showing that these alternatives can deliver the same benefits without the problematic metaphysical commitments.I conclude that angst about nihilism is unfitting: if nihilism is true, it is not bad in any sense that warrants angst; if nihilism is false, angst about it is misplaced; and even if we rationally suspend judgment about nihilism, we can know in advance that its truth would not be bad in a way that makes angst fitting. This analysis not only offers comfort to those troubled by nihilism but also clears the path for evaluating nihilism's truth without the distorting influence of angst.
- 일반주제명
- Philosophy
- 일반주제명
- Ethics
- 일반주제명
- Metaphysics
- 키워드
- Angst
- 키워드
- Nihilism
- 키워드
- Metaethics
- 키워드
- Error theory
- 기타저자
- The Ohio State University Philosophy
- 기본자료저록
- Dissertations Abstracts International. 86-11A.
- 전자적 위치 및 접속
- 로그인 후 원문을 볼 수 있습니다.
MARC
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■035 ▼a(MiAaPQ)OhioLINKosu1744979831048905
■040 ▼aMiAaPQ▼cMiAaPQ
■0820 ▼a100
■1001 ▼aPapenhausen, Vaughn Rutan.
■24510▼aXanax for the Philosopher's Soul: How to Stop Worrying About Nihilism
■260 ▼a[Sl]▼bThe Ohio State University▼c2025
■260 1▼aAnn Arbor▼bProQuest Dissertations & Theses▼c2025
■300 ▼a149 p
■500 ▼aSource: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 86-11, Section: A.
■500 ▼aAdvisor: McPherson, Tristram.
■5021 ▼aThesis (Ph.D.)--The Ohio State University, 2025.
■520 ▼aThis dissertation examines whether philosophical angst about nihilism-specifically nihilism about authoritative normativity-is a fitting emotional response. Authoritative nihilism holds that while generic normative standards exist, no normative standards have the special "oomphy" authority often attributed to morality, rationality, or other binding normative domains. Rather than attempting to refute nihilism, I investigate whether we should worry about it even if it were true. I begin by confronting the self-defeat argument, which suggests that if nihilism is true, then nihilism itself cannot be bad. This creates a puzzle: how can we even coherently ask whether nihilism's truth would be bad? I resolve this by reframing the question in terms of fittingness norms-standards that regulate emotions without requiring authoritative normativity. I argue that angst is fitting only when its object would be bad in some way we care about and when we either believe this object obtains or rationally suspend judgment about whether it does.In subsequent chapters, I demonstrate that nihilism would not undermine core human concerns. Chapter Two shows how our deliberative practices can be replaced with "schmeliberation"-a process that provides the same practical benefits as deliberation without assuming authoritative normativity. Chapter Three distinguishes between "nihilism-susceptible" and "nihilism-resistant" varieties of meaning in life, arguing that nihilism-resistant varieties (particularly terrestrial meaning) provide everything we instrumentally value about meaning. Throughout, I employ a general strategy of identifying replacements for practices that seem to require authoritative normativity, showing that these alternatives can deliver the same benefits without the problematic metaphysical commitments.I conclude that angst about nihilism is unfitting: if nihilism is true, it is not bad in any sense that warrants angst; if nihilism is false, angst about it is misplaced; and even if we rationally suspend judgment about nihilism, we can know in advance that its truth would not be bad in a way that makes angst fitting. This analysis not only offers comfort to those troubled by nihilism but also clears the path for evaluating nihilism's truth without the distorting influence of angst.
■590 ▼aSchool code: 0168.
■650 4▼aPhilosophy
■650 4▼aEthics
■650 4▼aMetaphysics
■653 ▼aAngst
■653 ▼aNihilism
■653 ▼aMetaethics
■653 ▼aError theory
■653 ▼aAfter error theory
■690 ▼a0422
■690 ▼a0396
■690 ▼a0394
■71020▼aThe Ohio State University▼bPhilosophy.
■7730 ▼tDissertations Abstracts International▼g86-11A.
■790 ▼a0168
■791 ▼aPh.D.
■792 ▼a2025
■793 ▼aEnglish
■85640▼uhttp://www.riss.kr/pdu/ddodLink.do?id=T17358212▼nKERIS▼z이 자료의 원문은 한국교육학술정보원에서 제공합니다.


