Nietzsche’s Portrayal of Pyrrho

Abstract: Nietzsche’s portrayal of Pyrrho is predominately contained in two of his notebooks from 1888, and they present a somewhat ambivalent attitude toward him. In this article, I offer an explanation for Nietzsche’s variegated observations, and contend that his interest in Pyrrho is not really founded upon his radical scepticism as one might expect. Rather, it is Nietzsche’s preoccupation with decadence in general – and its ancient Greek philosophical incarnations in particular – that drives his scrutiny of Pyrrho. I describe Nietzsche’s evolving depiction of Pyrrho as one that ultimately develops into a critique, whereby Pyrrho is associated with a number of types of decadence, as well as exhibiting the characteristic traits of a decadent. I close by examining the cogency and soundness of Nietzsche’s interpretation of Pyrrho as a specific exemplar of decadence.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Nietzsche’s Portrayal of Pyrrho ; volume:53 ; number:1 ; year:2024 ; pages:17-42 ; extent:26 ; Nietzsche-Studien ; 53, Heft 1 (2024), 17-42 (gesamt 26)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Hurrell, David

Further information

• DOI: 10.1515/nietzstu-2023-0013
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2409261545259.241073119551
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:23 AM CEST