Abstract

Rorty's relationship with Nietzsche is complicated. On the one hand, Rorty endorses Nietzsche's break with Platonic philosophy and its quest for truth, even if he sometimes finds it inadequate. He also sees Nietzsche as a superlative private philosopher, who models the virtues of literary creation, a tact he borrows from Nehamas. On the other hand, Rorty tends to minimize key elements of Nietzsche's teaching, including his clearly illiberal morality and what he sees as democracy's inherent shortcomings. Rather than seeing Nietzsche as the philosopher of the will to power and would‐be founder of civilizations, Rorty's Nietzsche is a pragmatist and poet who is devoid of any proper public teaching.