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Practicing Hedonism In The Face Of Nihilism: Onfrayian Insights On Individualism And Autonomy, Scott Truesdale

The Coastal Review: An Online Peer-reviewed Journal

Where many define nihilism as the belief that life and all moral principles are meaningless, the French philosopher, Michel Onfray, expounds on this classic definition and argues that true nihilism is the refusal to accept the world as it is. Unlike monotheistic religions and totalitarian regimes that urge their followers to practice asceticism now to attain happiness in the future, Onfray believes that hedonistic pleasure can be found when the individual rediscovers autonomy and returns to an atomistic worldview that is immersed in the imminent.