As always with these discussions, I think it comes down to what you mean by "nihilist". He certainly thought that the end of traditional Christian values was a

As always with these discussions, I think it comes down to what you mean by "nihilist". He certainly thought that the end of traditional Christian values was a good thing, which is why many people call him a nihilist. That's not to say he believed in "nothing", Big Lebowski style, though.