Metaphysical nihilism
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Metaphysical nihilism sometimes refers to the theory that there are no objects (objects do not exist). This position has been held by philosophers such as Parmenides, Buddha, Advaita Vedantins, and perhaps Kant (according to some interpretations of his transcendental idealism). Blob theory can also be considered very closely aligned with mereological nihilism (there are no parts and wholes). Obviously if metaphysical nihilism, in this sense, is correct, empirical reality is an illusion.
Among philosophers today, the term is more commonly used to refer to the doctrine that there might have been no objects at all, i.e. that there is a Possible world in which there are no objects at all. Or, even more commonly, it is used to refer to the weaker doctrine that there might have been no concrete objects at all, so even if every Possible world contains some objects, there is at least one that contains only abstract objects.
