What do people really mean when they talk about nihilism? Why does Friedrich Nietzsche so often get described as dark, dangerous, or misunderstood, and why do his ideas keep coming back whenever societies feel lost or in transition? In this discussion, we’ll simplify Nietzsche’s philosophy without dumbing it down, starting with his famous confrontation with nihilism: the idea that life has no inherent meaning, values, or purpose given to us from the outside. Rather than celebrating emptiness, Nietzsche saw nihilism as a crisis to move through, a moment where old moral systems collapse, forcing humans to ask harder, more honest questions about how to live, choose, and create meaning for themselves.

 

Nietzsche is one of the most influential thinkers in Western philosophy, intellectual history, and popular culture, and also one of the fiercest critics of traditional Western morality, especially ideas around guilt, obedience, and “good vs. evil.” Even if you’ve never read him, you’ve almost certainly felt his influence. Lines like “That which does not kill us makes us stronger” have travelled far beyond philosophy books into movies, music, self-help, and everyday language. In this session, we’ll unpack what Nietzsche actually meant, why he still matters, and how his ideas about strength, values, and self-creation continue to shape how we think, often without us even realising it. Let's have a smart, deep, and surprisingly fun conversation that connects big ideas to real life.

 

当人们谈论虚无主义时，他们到底是什么意思？为什么弗里德里希·尼采经常被描述为黑暗、危险或被误解的人，他的思想为什么在社会感到迷茫或过渡时期时会反复出现？在本次讨论中，我们将简化尼采的哲学而不失其深度，从他著名的与虚无主义的对抗开始：即认为生活没有外部赋予的固有意义、价值或目的的观点。尼采并非在庆祝虚无，而是将虚无主义视为一个危机阶段——一个旧有的道德体系崩溃的时刻，迫使人类提出更难、更诚实的关于如何生活、选择和为自己创造意义的问题。

 

尼采是西方哲学、知识历史和流行文化中最具影响力的思想家之一，也是传统西方道德体系最激烈的批评者，特别是关于罪疚感、服从和“善与恶”的观念。即便你从未阅读过他的作品，你几乎肯定感受到了他的影响。像“那不能杀死我们的，使我们更强大”这样的名句，早已远超哲学书籍，进入电影、音乐、自我帮助和日常语言中。在这次活动中，我们将解析尼采的真正含义，为什么他依然重要，以及他关于力量、价值和自我创造的思想如何持续塑造我们的思维，常常是我们自己没有意识到的。让我们进行一次聪明、深刻、并且出乎意料有趣的讨论，将伟大的思想与现实生活相连接。