Thank you for the question about Nihilism, “Is the book Ecclesiastes advocating nihilism?”
Merriam-Webster defines Nihilism as a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that existence is senseless and useless Nihilism is a condition in which all ultimate values lose their value.— Ronald H. Nash. b : a doctrine that denies any objective ground of truth and especially of moral truths.
As one reads the Book of Ecclesiastes, the writer argues against Nihilism. The writer observes the vanity of individuals who based their life on their own moral beliefs and values. The absence of God in one’s life is vanity.
The author begins with this statement, “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
3 What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. 7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. 8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. 9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. 11 No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them” (NIV).
In my opinion that is the result of the denial of any absolutes. All things are wearisome and worthless. There is nothing to gain from personal sacrifice or personal gain for death is the end result whether one dies poor or dies rich. To uphold any value is emptiness. Life has no purpose according to Nihilism.
An example of the Book of Ecclesiastes of Nihilism is found in chapter 2. The text says this, “17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. (NIV).
The point of the writer that if there is no God, no moral absolutes or values, then the hard labor of accumulation of wealth is despair for the children may frivolously waste what one has so diligently worked for in life. Life without God leads to Nihilism.
The author concludes in Ecclesiastes 12 with these words of the unifying principle for mankind, “Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. 13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
The author believes in the existence of God and the commands that he has given especially to the Jews. He further believes there is a judgment day for all mankind, not that the grave is the end of existence.
SUMMARY: Ecclesiastes argues against Nihilism and the accountability of all mankind to God.
-Kingston