Richard Rorty : pragmatism and political liberalism / Michael Bacon.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bacon, Michael, 1974-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Rorty, Richard.

Pragmatism.

Liberalism.

Physical Description:

xx, 119 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham : Lexington Books, [2007]

Summary:

Richard Rorty was both the most prominent and the most provocative recent exponent of pragmatism. This book offers a sympathetic reconstruction of Rorty's account of pragmatism, in which the aspiration to underwrite inquiry by reference to standards outside of any particular community is given up in favor of a view of inquiry as answerable exclusively to the norms implicit within contingent human practices. Rorty hoped that pragmatism so conceived could help effect a transition toward what he called an "anti-authoritarian" society, a society in which responsibility is owed solely to one's fellow citizens. The book examines the relationship between pragmatism and political liberalism-a form of liberalism that sets aside discussion of truth and value and seeks instead to derive a constitutional settlement in which citizens can freely pursue their individual projects and purposes. It presents a critical assessment of Rorty's ideal of a liberal utopia, one inhabited by strong poets and liberal ironists.

By focusing on the relationship between the philosophical and political, the book argues that Rorty provided a compelling statement of pragmatism, containing insights that command the attention of contemporary liberal philosophers. Through textual analysis and reconstruction, it argues that while Rorty's account needs to be amended at several points, it remains a powerful and attractive one, and not the incoherent and pernicious folly that critics often take it to be. Well researched, lively, and succinct, Richard Rorty: Pragmatism and Political Liberalism is ideally suited to specialists and graduate students in philosophy and political theory.

Contents:

Introduction

Pragmatism as anti-representationalism

Pragmatism and imagination

The public face of pragmatism

The liberal ironist

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780739114988

0739114980

OCLC:

171287628