Postmodern Encounter Series: Nietzsche and Postmodernism

Author: (English) David Robinson / Cheng Lian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-14
Features: This book is a concise and outstanding introduction to Nietzsche and postmodernism. Robinson successfully demonstrates how Nietzsche's original thoughts influenced the 20th century's renowned thinkers—Foucault, Derrida, Rorty, and Lyotard. It is suitable for readers with intellectual curiosity, and the numerous references mentioned can serve as a gateway for further reading. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) had a profound impact on 20th-century philosophy and literature, and this influence seems to continue into the 21st century. Nietzsche questioned the meaning of life in the modern world. He was an anti-philosopher who raised many reservations about the reliability and limitations of human knowledge. His radical skepticism disturbed the deep beliefs and values we hold. For these reasons, Nietzsche cast a far-reaching shadow over the cultural and philosophical phenomena we now call postmodernism. Nietzsche and Postmodernism explains the key ideas of this anti-Christian philosopher, then clearly outlines the central themes of postmodernism as embodied by thinkers such as Derrida, Foucault, Lyotard, and Rorty, and finally poses an intriguing question: Can Nietzsche be reasonably called a great postmodernist.