Does Atheism Lead to Nihilism?

[Mister Agenda]

Steve, why should we have meaning?

I think we all live like we all have meaning (and value and purpose).

Well, we do, don't we? There's nothing magical about the word 'intrinsic' that makes us more meaningful if the meaning is instrinsic. It doesn't even really make sense to talk about meaning in the absence of someone to ascribe the meaning. Meaning necessarily involves meaning something TO someone. Positing God doesn't make your meaning intrinsic, it just implies you have meaning to God, as well as to yourself and other people. If God exists, God's meaning isn't intrinsic either, God's meaning is what it means to itself and others.

The excerpt from the paper points that out. The question is: does atheism lead to existential and ethical nihilism? It so, and an atheist reasons and acts like there is meaning, value and purpose to life, an inconsistency exists.

Atheism doen't lead to anything. It's an opinion, a conclusion at best. What leads someone to atheism may also lead them elsewhere. It might be better to ask where rational skepticism leads. At any rate, there is meaning, value, and purpose to life because we are here to ascribe meaning, value, and purpose to life. No inconsistency.

I made no claim. I am asking what is the basis for ethics consistent with your philosophy?

Atheism isn't a philosophy. Neither is theism. They are differing opinions on a very specific topic. Neither is a world view or a religion or 'belief system'.

---

I personally obtain my ethics from whether or not an action harms another person. If what I do causes someone harm, it is self evident that what I am doing is wrong. I do not need a book to understand that.

When an individual cannot discern right from wrong on his own, and must have a book to tell him how to behave, then clearly he is lacking empathy much in the way that a sociopath does.

So your personal ethics come from harm avoidance. Isn't that highly subjective? Is it harm for all humans? Animals? Plants? What if there is a conflict between two people's best interest? How about the interplay between humans and animals? Do things like justice or fairness enter in?

You speak like someone who understands how much easier it is to ask a question that necessarily has a complex answer than it is to give the answer. Are you familiar with the term 'JAQing off'?