http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/n/nihilism.htm

Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy. While few philosophers would claim to be nihilists, nihilism is most often associated with Friedrich Nietzsche who argued that its corrosive effects would eventually destroy all moral, religious, and metaphysical convictions and precipitate the greatest crisis in human history.
Whomever wrote this, needs to re-read Nietzsche. Nietzsche a nihilist? No way. At least not in the meaning that the word nihilism is given here. Nietzsche a pessimist? No way. Nietzsche, believe in nothing? No way. Nietzsche, no loyalties? Yeah right...

Nietzsche was known as 'the philosopher with the hammer', beating down all previous philosophies, yet creating his own instead. His method has been referred to as the '7 antis' (anti-moralist, anti-democratic, anti-socialist, anti-feminist, anti-intellectualist, ANTI-PESSIMIST, anti-christ)...

He who says 'life isn't worth anything', is actually saying 'I am worth nothing'
Nietsche WAS a nihilist if you take the original definition of the term:

A nihilist is someone who doesn't bend for any authority, who doesn't accept any principle, however much respected that principle is.
Nietzsche starts his 'mission' with declaring the death of God. There is no more absolute measurement for truth, for good and evil, for ugly and beautifull...

That's what Nietzsche's nihilism is about...

From there on, he constructs his own philosophy, replacing God with the Uebermensch: the Uebermensch is the human being that knows God is dead. The Uebermensch is he who knows that he'll never gain a place in the Being. The Uebermensch is he who also knows he is part of that Being. The Uebermensch is he who knows to deal with this contradiction...

Dang, am I off-topic or what?

Originally posted by SarinMage
if nothing DID exist,
we wouldent be here
so there is no such thing as nothing, there has to be something
Mmmm... try playing with the emphasis on your words:

if NOTHING did exist <---> if nothing did EXIST

This entire matter is not about something vs. nothing, it's about existance...

Saying that NOTHING exists, doesn't mean we can't be here...
Saying that nothing EXISTS, means we can't be here...