The Bitter Road: A Treatise on Diacritical Nihilism

Why do we believe that which we believe? Where did our beliefs come from? Are they true? Do they serve some sort of purpose or provide us a benefit? Why do we believe things that we have never even really thought about? These are the questions that drive The Bitter Road and its analysis of the origin, nature, and fate of "inherited beliefs" - things that we believe, but which we have never personally experienced or thought about.

Sophner approaches this problem of inherited beliefs through the theory of diacritical nihilism, and provides a detailed analysis on the benefits and validity of the concept. Operating from the stance that every individual contains beliefs that they have never truly examined, or which they inherited from another, Sophner suggests that it is possible to discover which beliefs fall under this category, if they are true or false, beneficial or harmful, reasonable or extraordinary, and then remove any beliefs that the individual self no longer believes or desires to maintain.

The Bitter Road is an intellectually stimulating read for anyone that desires a deeper knowledge of their own internal self, whether they are versed in philosophy or not.