I am not sure about Schopenhauer being a Nihilist.

Nihilism is really just the rejection of objective truths. Every statement, be it about morals, knowledge, the meaning of life or anything else, assumes that something is objectively true. Nihilists reject this objectivity.

Murder is wrong only from a subjective standpoint, from within your cultural and political field. Every reasoning of why Murder should be universally wrong, meaning across all cultures, all of time and under all circumstances, fails quickly through countless counter examples from history, thought experiments and moral paradoxa that would arise.

This inability to argue for objective truths gave way to the realization that morals are social constructs and thus subject to change, that there is no meaning to life and that we ultimately can’t even verify any claim about the true nature of reality.

This might seem depressing at first, but it is also liberating, because when we realize that we are no longer bound by social facts we can live our life to the fullest.

Nihilism can be divided into several different fields, which highlight the rejection of objective truths in that field, like moral Nihilism, and also into different philosophical approaches to and deductions from the lack of objectivity, like Absurdity or Existentialism. Here are some arbitrary literary recommendations, based on those divisions:

0. Overview “Nihilism: A Philosophical Essay” by Stanley Rosen: This is a good starting point for those seeking a detailed and nuanced exploration of nihilism, its origins, and its philosophical implications.

1. Existential Nihilism: “The Stranger” by Albert Camus: The novel explores Camus’ philosophy of absurdism, which regards the conflict between the human desire to search for meaning and their inability to find such meaning as absurd. This is explored through the main characters apathy and the other characters attempt to decipher a motive or reason for his action (in the climax of the book a murder), which in the end was just something that happened like the gusts of wind.

2. Moral Nihilism: “Beyond Good and Evil” by Friedrich Nietzsche: Nietzsche, often credited as the father of Nihilism, but not actually a Nihilist himself, challenges traditional moral values and notions of good and evil. He critiques the foundations of morality and questions the existence of objective moral truths.

3. Epistemological Nihilism: “The Conspiracy against the Human Race” by Thomas Ligotti: Ligotti delves into philosophical pessimism and the notion that human knowledge is fundamentally limited and unreliable. He explores the idea that our understanding of reality is often flawed and that the pursuit of knowledge can lead to existential despair.

4. Political Nihilism: “Demons” by Fyodor Dostoevsky: While the novel primarily explores radicalism and extremism, it does touch on themes related to the rejection of established political orders, societal chaos, and the consequences of radical ideologies. These themes can be interconnected with political nihilism, making it a thought-provoking and relevant read for those looking to explore the broader context of political ideologies and their potential destructive consequences.

5. Nihilism and the Absurd: “The Myth of Sisyphus” by Albert Camus: Camus reflects on the absurdity of human existence and the struggle to find meaning in a seemingly indifferent universe. He addresses the tension between the human desire for meaning and the apparent meaninglessness of life, making it a key work in understanding nihilism and the absurd.

I hope this gives you a good overview and some directions to find your own way. Keep us updated on your thoughts as you explore!