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The Role of Nihilism in the Formation of Youth's World View

Safarova Markhabo Khalimovna

Senior Lecturer of the Department of Art of Management Academy of public administration under
the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

ABSTRACT
This article examines the meaning of the term nihilism as a philosophical concept, its influence on
the organization of society and human life, on changing thinking, and most importantly, the social,
psychological and philosophical influence of the value of “denial” on the adoption of constructive
and destructive decisions by young people in a modernizing society was studied as a factor.

KEYWORDS: nihilism, ethics, worldview, values, dynamics, spiritual feelings, individual, youth,
transformation, cynicism, revolution.

INTRODUCTION
The theme of nihilism has been an integral part of people's thinking since the medieval Renaissance,
and today the study of the impact of this phenomenon on the organisation of social life is becoming
more and more relevant, since nihilistic thinking is characteristic of societies undergoing
transformational processes, manifested in their social reality, in this place people. It would not be an
exaggeration to say that it has become dominant among the factors influencing the definition of life
goals and the formation of their socio-cultural values.
MAIN PART
Undoubtedly, a similar experience was observed in the world in the second half of the 20th century
in the third stage of society-youth relations. As a result of the scientific and technological revolution
of the 40s and 50s of this century, there were changes that initially occurred in the developed
countries of the West ("Youth Riots", "Student Revolution", "Youth Uprisings and
Demonstrations"), later spread to almost all countries of the world (USA, Russia, Western Europe,
Arab countries) [1].
Undoubtedly, a similar experience was observed in the world in the second half of the XX century at
the third stage of society-youth relations. As a result of the scientific and technological revolution of
the 40s and 50s of this century, there were changes that initially occurred in the developed countries
of the West ("Youth Riots", "Student Revolution", "Youth Uprisings and Demonstrations"), later
spread to almost all countries of the world (USA, Russia, Western Europe, Arab countries) [1]
These mass uprisings, which occurred in the 60s of the 20th century, became not only a visible trend
in the social life of all countries, but according to historians, politicians and sociologists, this event,
which caused social tectonic changes, is considered to become one of the most important events in
the history of mankind. Since that time, young people have become a prominent group in the social
structure of society, and social systems have had to create special mechanisms for their effective
formation.
Public policies on youth have become one such fundamental mechanism, and as of January 2013, the
number of countries in the world implementing active national youth policies was 99, and the
number of countries reviewing their policies was 56 [2] (Figure 1).

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198 countries have national youth policies: blue - there is a YoMS (50%); green - YoMS is being
reviewed (28%), grey - YoMS does not exist (22%)
Here, first of all, it is necessary to clarify the issue of youth. Youth is a special social stratum
characterised by a certain age range and status in society. Society gives this stratum an opportunity to
get on their feet socially, provides various benefits. It also does not limit their active participation in
public life [3].
Therefore, in the modernisation of society it is important to take into account the suggestions and
comments of youth representatives who can express their individual position, challenging the
existing systems, freely realising themselves on the basis of their own worldview in the process of
determining their destiny as a "subject of individual existence". American psychologist G. Stanley
Hall defines adolescence in 1966 as a "rebellious period" filled with stresses and conflicts [4], but
this "rebellion" of personality manifests itself through "emancipation, escapism, nihilism, opposition,
negativism" [5], can be.
In Hegel's approaches at the first stage of the development of thought in the East (China, India), he
emphasised that man did not realise his freedom, he was completely subordinated to political and
religious despotism, as if "asleep", "Man does not fight, does not protest, he bows down to the reality
of life and the necessity of life, he sees himself as a separate being of existence. Not understood..."[6]
says.
In fact, in traditional society, values such as criticism and protest are not prioritised in human
psychology, but when we react freely to the changes around us, in many cases we observe that
destructiveness manifests itself in our negative mood. takes precedence over creativity in our views.
in our views.
Our preliminary analysis has shown that the concept of "dissent" is connected with such concepts as
"negation", "negativism", "revolt", "resistance", "disbelief", "refusal", "antagonism", "opposition",
"disagreement". confrontation". opposition". In Russian, "protest" (in Latin protestari - to openly
declare) means "resolute objection to something", "refusal", and nihilism is considered one of the
most dangerous and destructive forms of individual protest activity [7].
If we turn to the analysis of nihilism, "nihilism" in its essence comes from the Latin "nihil", meaning
"nothing". In a broad sense, it is also interpreted as a mental mood associated with thoughts aimed at
the rejection of generally accepted values, ideals, moral norms and culture [8].
As a term, nihilism has been known since the XII century due to the interpretation of those who
reflect the nature of "rebels who oppose the will of God", and since the XVIII century "nihilism"

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became, in its philosophical and social meaning, the essence, impassioned and immoral doctrine,
rejecting everything that cannot be comprehended [9] is considered and stamped as a negative
thought in European languages as an analogue of the denial of generally accepted values, ideals,
moral norms, culture and forms of social life to a greater or lesser extent.
Of particular fundamental importance is nihilism as a phenomenon [10], who considered it a balm
for the sick society of Europe undergoing great changes, as well as understanding of this
phenomenon in a new interpretation, such as "revaluation of values". began with F. Nietzsche.
According to the scholar, nihilism manifests itself in the initial stage as pessimism, in the "fall and
retreat of the spirit", and in the later stage in the "rise of the spirit".
It is well known that Nietzsche did not recognise systems and strict moral principles. Many
understood his ideas as nothing more than a rejection of traditional belief systems. In fact, through
his approach, Nietzsche proposed the rejection of unrealistic ideals. He said that the human mind
must be freed from the dependency that is trapped under conservative views, outdated moral codes
that manifest themselves in the form of guidelines and prohibitions. As a result, he realises that our
worldview is not limited to blind adherence to concepts, we need to be able to express our views
independently, critically evaluating existing systems without becoming victims of them, and we need
to build up our immunity to resist the pressures of society. society and morality.
In fact, the process of forming the worldview and value system of each person is not limited only to
mental processes occurring in his spiritual world, above all, it is carried out under the influence of
socialisation of a person into society in a certain space and time, the social environment, the changes
taking place, as well as the system of values in society. But the value of values formed in a certain
period is inevitable and they will have to be re-evaluated. At this stage, the creation of social change
through critical thinking should be seen as the basis of any transformation.
Thus, Nietzsche did not advocate a total rejection of the prevailing values and norms, he did not
believe that they should disappear completely, on the contrary, he advocated that each individual
should create his own private system of values, which he independently evaluates and freely chooses.
Rather, he sees nihilism as a stepping stone towards another level (or reality) and explains that it
should be the object of our personal search and that it helps us realise our identity.
Bazarov, one of the rebellious heroes of his time, in 1862 in I. S. Turgenev's famous novel "Fathers
and Children" [11] was critical of all new processes, did not recognise authority and generally
accepted social norms, was known for his observations based on the principles of negation we see.
In the eyes of the hero, the old order in Russia made the country develop slowly, so he realised that
in order to create a new one, something better than the previous one, it was necessary to destroy and
ruin everything that existed. But his nihilism here shows a complete pessimistic denial of everything,
we realise that any criticism is not always constructive, in this case the position takes on a radical
revolutionary tone, so in the last minutes of his life Bazarov understands why he was not supported
by society.
Indeed, we know many approaches that have studied that the nihilistic way of thinking is peculiar to
the character of the Russian intelligentsia, the way of life and, above all, the moral character of the
worldview. In particular, on the basis of N. I. Nadezhdina's article "A Gathering of Nihilists"
published in Russia, the possibility of free expression of opinion and self-expression in society,
which is also called Volterianism, is criticised. Therefore, the value of expressing our free thoughts
through self-consciousness, which we believe to be true in terms of our subjective views, is not
always seen as a constructive idea.
In other approaches, "nihilists" are also called "inquisitive youth" [12], on this basis Zubov
understands nihilism as "children with a worldview opposite to their father's - a system of thinking

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peculiar to the younger generation".
Bulgakov described the behaviour of his contemporaries who accepted nihilistic institutions and said:
"Cynicism was a characteristic feature of the nihilists' relations with other people. Cynicism, in turn,
manifested itself not only in words but also in deeds. It is said that the nihilists always consciously
tried in their conversation, behaviour, actions and even dress to present themselves as supporters of
the deniers of all manners [13].
In our opinion, this attitude can be observed in the behaviour of modern youth. Because young
people with a nihilistic view evaluate the values existing in society as a product of an old-fashioned
view. It insists that values are nothing but an artificial bureaucratic barrier and this attitude makes
them scrutinise others. Naturally, this process creates a lack of continuity between the older and
younger generations and causes a difference in values between them, leading to misunderstanding
and acceptance of each other. At the same time, we should not forget that each person has a personal
hierarchy of value priorities according to time.
What is value itself, let's get acquainted with this concept and what is prioritised in the values of
people in the world today.
In philosophical literature, values are interpreted in different ways. For example, in the explanatory
dictionary of basic concepts of spirituality, philosopher and scientist K. Nazarov gives the following
definition: "value is a component of human and social spirituality, a concept used to express the
value of world events, events, processes, situations, qualities, requirements and procedures" [14].
Philosopher and scientist B. Ochilova emphasises that "value is a set of factors that are manifested in
natural and social life, valued by people and are beneficial, useful and positively significant for
them" [15]. So, we should look at values as a socio-historical and cultural category, as "everything
that is important for man and humanity".
Today, what is prioritised in the human values, beliefs and norms of the peoples of the countries of
the world was studied in 2017-2022 by the World Values Survey Association (World Values Survey
and European Values. study). study) in 111 countries.The Inglehart-Welzel Cultural Map of the
World shows that there is a difference in the main aspect. (Figure 2)

Figure 2. Cultural map of world values based on Inglehart-Weltsel's World Values Survey
sociological research base

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In the first dimension, the countries on the vertical axis reflect a shift from traditional values to
secular-rational values (it measures how important a role religious teachings play in society, the
extent to which secular values influence the role of religion, and the extent to which society is
changing towards a theocentric worldview), and in the second dimension horizontally and we can see
a movement to the right in the countries reflecting the ability to manifest and express themselves
from the values of struggle for survival (it measures the extent to which people are autonomous in
their lives).
If we look at the map, we can see that in Central Asia Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan tend
towards traditional values in relation to Kazakhstan and "neighbouring countries" such as Saudi
Arabia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Rwanda, and Burkina Faso also hold moderate views.
It can be seen that today "individualism" has priority over traditional values, i.e. social justice of any
society is connected with the observance of the criteria of universal humanity, the level of human
value, the creation of opportunities for the manifestation of individual value and our consideration of
personal desires. According to Karl Jaspers, nihilism "as a movement of thought, as a continuation of
historical experience and tradition begins to take a firm place in a society where ideal figures and
heroes are disappearing, and the sense of national identity is in crisis". It ensures the development of
some societies and the decline of others" [16].
Т. W. Adorno considers nihilism in modern society to be "the transition of the negation of one
quality into another negation, and not one quality into another, i.e. endless negation, the preservation
of a sceptical, critical attitude to any social change" [17], and thus nihilism. is social-intellectual,
turns out to be an event.
A different approach can also be found in the studies of Erich Fromm, who offers an approach to
nihilism as a process of psychological defence. He concluded that personal and social development is
shaped by basic tendencies such as the desire for freedom as well as the desire for alienation. Human
development occurs with increasing freedom, but this sometimes requires negative mental states and
experiences that lead to mutual alienation of people.
By nihilism N. A. Berdyaev imagined a person free from all fetters, free from everything. Today we
see that modern man strives for almost absolute freedom, and this freedom manifests itself in
creative and sometimes destructive ideas. Often destructive deviance can be attributed to the
everyday nihilistic psychology of millions of people from all walks of life rather than specific
groups.
By the 19th century, another destructive new form of nihilism based on negative characteristics was
cynicism. Cynicism is understood as a personal stance or behaviour that questions moral and social
values and the motives for the actions of others. More precisely, according to Bertrand Russell,
"Cynics are not only incapable of believing what they are told, but they are people who believe in
nothing at all." Usually, the spread of mass cynicism manifests itself as a reaction to abrupt changes
in society, their negative aspects, the gap between the new value and the ideals proclaimed by reality.
In conclusion, it should be said that in the period of change in any society, when there is a
reassessment of values and standards, it is somewhat difficult for young people to find their way in
matters concerning life prospects, goals, and the meaning of life.
Thus, nihilism in its first form manifests itself in the attempt to clarify the relationship of man with
society, to critically perceive the fairness of its norms and requirements. Naturally, with the self-
perception of the individual, the individual's claims for independent thinking increase, and his claims
for independence from the religion and state institutions that limit him lead to the strengthening of
nihilistic sentiments, in Camus's phrase, "rebellion". That is, the revolt of the individual manifests
itself when the integrity of boundaries and sovereign rights is in danger of being violated. Here, the

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basis of consensus in ensuring a moderate transition of innovative reform can only be the policy of
any state, realised on the basis of "principles of social justice".
Critical thinking is important for making rational decisions, but if subjectivism takes precedence in
freely reacting to the changes occurring in the process of transformation, the activity of "protest" will
manifest itself in a destructive form with emancipation, escapism, nihilism, opposition, negativism. It
should also be remembered that nihilism, whether manifested at the individual or group level, is the
traditional path to decline and social catastrophe, but it is a process as inexorable as evolution
seeking progress.
On this basis, we recommend to use nihilistic thinking and its values constructively, to consider it as
a new model of creative activity and construction of social relations, to apply it in a progressive
sense.
CONCLUSION
We compare Nietzsche's approach to nihilism with German economist Werner Zombart's idea of
"creative destruction" in his book Capitalism and War. Because the goal of this idea is "a process of
industrial mutation that constantly rebuilds the economic structure from within (reconstruction),
destroys the old structure and creates a new one." This idea was later developed in the book
"Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy" by economist and sociologist Joseph Schumpeter, and
according to the scholar, "creative destruction" is a process of transformation accompanied by radical
innovation [18].
Thus, we should accept nihilism not by rejecting it, but as a social phenomenon with the potential for
change, the idea of "creative destruction" leading to progress in the course of modern trends.
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