The correct answer is 3. Nihilism because Friedrich Nietzsche used this term to describe the breakdown of traditional values and morals in Western society.
Explanation:
Nihilism comes from the Latin word nihil, meaning "nothing," but it took on philosophical significance in Russia during the 19th century.
In Russia, it was initially associated with political movements rejecting established institutions and religious authority.
Nietzsche adapted the concept to refer to the existential crisis Western civilization faces due to the collapse of belief in religious, moral, and metaphysical truths, which were traditionally grounded in Christianity.
Nietzsche saw nihilism as a defining problem for modernity — once people stopped believing in absolute truths and traditional moral frameworks, a cultural and moral vacuum emerged, leading to the potential for both despair and liberation. His philosophy focuses on both the dangers of nihilism (e.g., meaninglessness) and its potential (e.g., creating new values).
Other options are incorrect:
Absolutism: Refers to a political system with centralized authority, not a moral crisis.
Cynicism: An ancient Greek philosophical attitude marked by skepticism toward human motivations, not specifically the breakdown of morality.
Anarchism: A political ideology advocating the abolition of hierarchies, distinct from Nietzsche’s focus on morality.
Thus, nihilism is the correct answer because Nietzsche used it to highlight the disintegration of traditional moral systems.
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