Perhaps Nietzsche’s greatest influence on Rortyian contingency was the implication of his conception of truth for conceptions of the self. Before Nietzsche, philosophers predicated their philosophical investigations on a flawed conception of man. They envisioned “man” —as Nietzsche put it—as an “aeterna veritas,” something that remains constant in the midst of all flux, as a sure measure of things.100 With Nietzsche, Rorty argued, things changed. Nietzsche had insisted that man is not a static being, but rather is constantly in the process of becoming.
Whiteheadian
