Philosophy

Eliminative materialism/Eliminativism

In general, eliminativism refers to the class of views in sciences that deny the existence of some entities. In the philosophy of mind realm, Eliminativism means the denial of existence of various states of the mind, such as belief or desire. It postulates how no scientifical basis for the existence of these states will ever be found.

Other versions include also pain or visual perceptions in this denial.

This current of thought originates in the 1960-1970s.

Eliminativism is in direct contrast with common physicology, asserting how it has roughly failed and most of it will be corrected/negated by neuroscience and developments of artificial intelligence. Original eliminativists considered both true that some mental states didn’t exist and that they could be explained in terms of lower-level neurophysiological states. Modern ones tend to think more on the complete denial of many mental states, rather that using neuroscience as an explanation.

Notable philosphers of Eliminativism

References

Moral Nihilism

The view that asserts that there is nothing morally right or wrong. It opposes traditional views in which moral proprieties or methods hold objectively and from which we can decide the morality of our actions. For the moral nihilists such proprieties do not exist in the world, therefore the traditional meaning of morality does not exists as well.

Moral assertions can be true or false only if there are moral proprieties. Once those are rejected, it is logical that the former cannot exist.

Notable philosophers of Moral Nihilism

Existential Nihilism

The philosophical theory that life has no meaning and that humanity has no purpose. This includes both us as a society and the individual. The capacity of purpose is not denied, it is only assumed that none is given or inherent to objects and humans.