Is Nihilism Important? Does it Matter?

Nihilism was a philosophical position developed in Russia in the 1850s and 1860s. It rejected family and societal bonds and emotional and aesthetic concerns in favor of a strict materialism, or the idea that there is no “mind” or “soul” outside of the physical world. Raskolnikov is a nihilist, as he shows no emotion for most of the book, and doesn't care about the emotions of others until the epilogue He has rejected society's traditional morality, and has ignored society's laws against murder, as well.