From modernity in Luc Ferry to Vattimo's postmodernity: the different conceptions of nihilism

Abstract

This study intends to show an interpretation about modernity and the transition from this to postmodernity based on the philosophy of two contemporary authors, namely the French philosopher Luc Ferry and the Italian philosopher Gianni Vattimo. It will be observed that among the authors, despite a few points in common, there is a difference of views and understanding of the historical, political and societal issues that marked modern society and, later, postmodernity. The key to reading will be the concept of nihilism, which in Ferry gains a connotation of strength and maintenance of hard truths, which, according to him, characterizes modernity; while in Vattimo this nihilism is the breaking of these modern structures and the guarantee of postmodernity as a moment of overcoming metaphysical truths. In sight of this scenario, we will examine the limits of the proposal of Ferry that is bound to a criticism of the nihilism realized by Nietzsche, disregarding, however, the statement that the announcer of the death of God does of an active nihilism.