Philosophical and Psychological Dimensions of Moral Nihilism: A Systematic Review
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Moral nihilism—the metaethical view that no objective moral facts exist—has drawn sustained philosophical interest and increasing interdisciplinary attention. To systematically synthesize contemporary philosophical arguments, psychological findings, and applied implications of moral nihilism using a transparent, reproducible PRISMA-aligned methodology. Six databases (JSTOR, PubMed, Scopus, PhilPapers, PsycINFO, Google Scholar) were searched using predefined Boolean queries. Dual-independent screening and extraction were conducted. Conceptual works were appraised using a bespoke argumentative clarity rubric; empirical works using adapted JBI criteria. Narrative thematic synthesis was applied. Twenty-one included studies form three thematic clusters: (1) philosophical foundations and arguments for/against error theory; (2) psychological and cultural perspectives; (3) applied implications in education, climate ethics, and theology. Moral nihilism remains philosophically resilient, though contested by intuitionist, realist, and pragmatist approaches. Empirical evidence on psychological consequences is sparse and inconsistent. While denying objective moral truths, moral nihilism does not entail moral paralysis. Instead, contemporary literature reframes morality as socially functional, culturally embedded, and pragmatically sustained. Significant empirical and cross-cultural gaps remain.
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