the intuition to reject nihilism is spot on, yet i arrive there logically from unpacking the cartesian doubt, “everything else here could be an illusion” itself .

let’s say everything we experience is an illusion, like it’s all the matrix and we can’t know what’s really real or not.

the cartesian doubt argues if we can’t know what is real or not, we cannot know anything but “i think”

but that doesn’t follow, because we do know something more of logical necessity.

there is an object that is the “I”

and the illusion presupposes that object. it necessarily must be true

if it’s all a computer sim, in some way, there is an objective reality with that computer in it.

the existence of objective reality is all u need to start the fire.

from there we get intelligibility, rationality, inter subjectivity, purpose, and morality.

at meeting point of metaphysics and anthropology, we find a coherent worldview that comports with objective reality.