ALIENATION, NIHILISM, AND THE SEARCH FOR MEANING: A COMPARATIVE PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS OF POST-SOVIET AND POSTMODERN YOUTH NARRATIVES

Nazgul  BOLATBEKOVA; Gulnar  ADAYEVA; Uydu Yücel  MUALLA

doi:10.32523/3080-1281-2026-154-1-34-48

Authors

Nazgul BOLATBEKOVA L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University Author https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6595-2296
Gulnar ADAYEVA L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8537-3567
Uydu Yücel MUALLA Istanbul University Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1595-2106

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32523/3080-1281-2026-154-1-34-48

Keywords:

alienation; nihilism; post-Soviet youth; postmodern youth; existential philosophy; identity crisis; cultural narratives; digital culture; comparative philosophy; value systems transformation; social change; narrative analysis

Abstract

The article Alienation, Nihilism, and the Search for Meaning: Comparative Philosophical Analysis of Post-Soviet and Postmodern Youth Narratives explores the psychological, cultural, and existential transformations experienced by contemporary youth in two distinct yet converging socio-historical contexts: the post-Soviet space and the postmodern Western world. Through a comparative philosophical lens, the study examines how feelings of alienation, nihilism, loss of direction, and fragmentation of identity manifest in youth discourses, creative practices, and socio-cultural behaviors. The work analyzes the influence of rapid social change, destabilized value systems, digital hyperreality, and the erosion of traditional institutions on young people’s search for meaning and belonging. Drawing on existential philosophy, critical theory, cultural studies, and narrative analysis, the article reveals both unique and shared patterns in youth responses to uncertainty, trauma, and ideological vacuum. Special attention is given to how young individuals negotiate their identity through art, online communities, subcultures, and creative self-expression. The research contributes to understanding the global crisis of meaning and offers insights into how youth construct new ethical frameworks, communal bonds, and existential strategies amidst socio-cultural turbulence.

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Author Biographies

Nazgul BOLATBEKOVA, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University

PhD student, Department of Philosophy, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, 2 Satbaev st., Astana, Kazakhstan
Gulnar ADAYEVA, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University

Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. 2 Satbaev Street, Astana, Kazakhstan
Uydu Yücel MUALLA , Istanbul University

Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History, Division of General Turkic History, Istanbul, Turkey

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