Nihilism

Nihilism is a philosophical doctrine, popular in 19th century Europe, that argued that life is without objective meaning or purpose and doesn't have value. The term Nihilism is derived from the Latin "nihil" meaning nothing. Traditional culture, beliefs, and ideas are rejected and considered futile. This type of philosophy has been intermittently popular with fluctuations in the world political climate surfacing at times of widespread despair. Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche are considered to be archetypal nihilist authors.