Nietzsche's philosophy of language

Abstract

Nietzschean scholars have frequently noted that the critique of language is restricted to the early writings of Nietzsche, as opposed to his critique of philosophy in the later works. The implication of this claim is that the value of language decreases considerably for Nietzsche in relation to the philosophical writings. The purpose of this thesis is that of demonstrating the continuing underlying influence of language throughout the writings of Nietzsche. Whilst the study of language in the early writings is offered as a theoretical framework for the critique of language, the theoretical aspect is applied as a critique of philosophy, in so doing highlighting the relationship between language and philosophy. Whilst the later writings are well known and easily available, research on the prolific writings of the early Nietzsche is scanty. In the light of the relationship posited as the object of examination, these early works have been closely studied, with the result that they broaden our understanding of the early insights on the nature of language. By coupling these early insights to the later writings, the realisation of the value of linguistic analysis as a first step in philosophising is highlighted. This thesis offers an original contribution to both Nietzschean scholarship in particular, and the philosophy of language in general.