2018 participants

Hannes Ingo Torbohm

  • BA (Hons) Philosophy
  • Towards a Nihilistic Framework in Monetary Theory

Nietzsche tells us that all values, through a macro historical process, result in nihilism. Nihilism is the self-destruction of value as it steadily proves itself incapable of dominating the world. This is the result of all attempts to codify the entire situation as it will always hit that which cannot be reduced to itself.
Modern capitalism is dominated by money, and we need to consider if nihilism will impact its development as a value. Simmel points us to a topology of effects that emanate from money. Money for Simmel destroys other values and could cause what Nietzsche would term nihilism.
This project explores the possibility for a Nietzschean conception of nihilistic money, through the lens of Simmel. Not only is there similarity between these scholars, but together they give us a theoretical framework to discuss what monetary nihilism would look like.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Project Supervisor: Dr. Andrea Rehberg