Echoes of Sextus Empiricus in Nietzsche?

AbstractThe essay considers two related questions: (a) whether Sextus was a philosophical influence on Nietzsche, and (b) whether there are significant connections between their philosophies. On the first question, it is notable that while Nietzsche cites Sextus Empiricus numerous times in his early scholarly works, it is always for purely antiquarian reasons; he never shows interest in Sextus as a philosopher in his own right. On the second question, a considerable philosophical overlap is identified, especially concerning the perspectival character of all human thinking, and the possibility of forms of knowledge and inquiry that do not aspire to any absolute status. One significant difference, however, concerns Nietzsche’s moral anti-realism. This appears to be inconsistent with the general emphasis on perspective that he shares with Sextus—although paradoxically, it also puts him in contact with another part of Sextus’ writing, Against the Ethicists, that is itself inconsistent with Sextus’ outlook elsewhere.