Wittgenstein and Nietzsche on Language and Knowledge

This chapter explores whether and to what extent Wittgenstein’s view of philosophy as “the fight against the fascination which forms of expression exert upon us” may be applied to Nietzsche. Based on Nietzsche’s critical remarks on traditional philosophy, and building on his view of language and knowledge, the following will provide a tentative comparison of Nietzsche and Wittgenstein on these issues. Elaborating on this, I will argue that the Nietzschean herd perspective can be interpreted as a Wittgensteinian form of life. Finally, I will try to defend that the agreement between Wittgenstein and Nietzsche may be ascribed to a pragmatist commitment they both endorse: namely the idea that the human viewpoint is the sole reference and justification of our knowledge claims.