For years, I have written about America’s problems with nihilism, lack of community, and desire for belonging. In short, the nihilism that has its roots in the Enlightenment and has plagued Western Civilization since at least the end of World War I has led us, as a civilization, to the brink of disaster. Young people in particular—worsening with successive generations—are indoctrinated with a form of hedonistic, individualist radicalism. They are taught that nothing matters, that there is no greater purpose to their lives or their actions (no telos to human existence), and that they should, as a result, live for the moment and for whatever corporeal pleasure they can achieve in that moment.
