The Nihilism of the Left, By James Reed
The paradox at the heart of much contemporary Leftist politics is striking: a movement that frequently claims the moral high ground, positioning itself as the champion of compassion, justice, equity, and human dignity, often operates in ways that appear deeply nihilistic. Nihilism, broadly understood as the rejection of inherent meaning, value, or objective moral limits, manifests in a willingness to treat certain lives, truths, or traditions as disposable or malleable in service of ideological ends. This creates a tension: how can a worldview that loudly proclaims moral superiority simultaneously undermine the foundations that make genuine morality possible?
This observation echoes recent commentary, such as John Mac Ghlionn's piece in Blaze Media titled "There's nothing Christian about the left's nihilism." The author responds to claims of "Christian nihilism" (e.g., revolutionary violence or despair borrowing Christian imagery) by arguing that what critics see is not a corruption of Christianity but its outright rejection. Christianity, he contends, insists that every person bears the image of God, rendering no life expendable, and teaches endurance, restraint, mercy, and the interruption of violence cycles — Christ absorbing hatred rather than demanding victims. In contrast, revolutionary ideologies (often aligned with Leftist causes) reject these limits, leading to chaos where some lives become disposable. As he puts it: "Revolutionary ideology does not distort Christianity; it rejects it outright."
This rejection shows up in several key areas where Leftist advocacy claims moral urgency while exhibiting a kind of value-erasure:
Human life and dignity — Positions that treat certain human lives as negotiable or non-persons (e.g., in debates over late-term abortion or foetal personhood) can reflect a utilitarian calculus where autonomy or societal "progress" overrides inherent worth. This echoes nihilistic themes by denying absolute value to life itself, prioritising ideological goals over metaphysical restraint.
Identity and the body — Advocacy for radical gender fluidity or transhumanist ideas sometimes frames the physical body as an obstacle to be overcome or redefined at will, rather than a given aspect of human nature with inherent meaning. This can stem from a broader rejection of fixed essences or natural limits, treating reality as infinitely plastic — a hallmark of existential or ethical nihilism where values are constructed rather than discovered.
Moral absolutism vs. relativism — The Left often wields concepts like "justice" and "equity" with near-religious fervour, claiming moral superiority through compassion for the marginalised. Yet this can coexist with a scepticism toward transcendent or objective morals (rooted in secular materialism or postmodern influences), leading to a performative morality: high-ground rhetoric without grounding in enduring principles. Critics argue this creates a pseudo-religion of rage and victimhood that demands perpetual disruption rather than redemption or restraint.
Philosophically, nihilism has long been linked to revolutionary politics, from 19th-century Russian nihilists who rejected traditional authority to Nietzsche's warnings about the collapse of values in modern secular societies. Some observers note that progressive idealism — untethered from reality's "essential form or structure" — treats all limits as oppressive impositions by power structures (e.g., patriarchy, racism), justifying their demolition. This "idealistic nihilism" claims the moral high ground while denying any stable basis for it, leading to flexible, ever-shifting norms where "equity" or "inclusion" means whatever advances the cause in the moment.
The irony deepens because this posture often mimics religious language — sacrifice, redemption through struggle, moral purity — without the Christian framework that historically restrained such impulses toward mercy and the sanctity of life. Instead of proclaiming meaning (as Christianity does), it can drift toward denying it, fostering spiritual starvation masked as activism.
Ultimately, the tension isn't that the Left lacks moral passion, but that its passion often operates in a void, rejecting the very transcendent anchors (like the imago Dei or natural law) that prevent moral claims from devolving into power plays or despair. True moral high ground requires humility before something greater than ideology; without it, even the noblest intentions risk becoming nihilistic in practice. This doesn't indict every Leftist view, but it highlights why the rhetoric of unassailable virtue can ring hollow when paired with a worldview that treats so much as ultimately meaningless or disposable.
https://www.theblaze.com/align/there-s-nothing-christian-about-the-left-s-nihilism
