Richard Rorty

2005 G. Lee Griffith, Ph. D.

http://italialibri.net/grafica/autori/rorty1.gif

Grenz, S. J. (1996). A Primer on postmodernism. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans

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Non-realist

• Access to the world is mediated through language.

• Truth is not a matter of description of objective reality – Correspondence Theory

• Truth is a matter of human convention– Snow is white—only because we agree

• Realist—things have objective qualities

• Non-realist—the properties of things are merely a matter of social agreement.

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Non-essentialist

• Truth, knowledge, morality as well as language do not have inherent properties only relational properties

• Essentialist = inherent & relational properties

• Non—essentialist = relational properties.

If I call it a thorn bush how

would it smell?

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Non-representationalist

• Language does not represent reality

• Elevates coherence rather than correspondence

• Beliefs are tools for dealing with reality

• They are maxims that dictate the behavior of the one that holds them

Coherence

Correspondence

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Pragmatism

• Truth is what works

• Vocabulary of practice

• Focus on action• What is useful?

• Not what is theoretically correct

• Not of theory

• Not on contemplation• Not, “What is right?”

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Truth is only Pragmatic

• What difference will it make in our conduct?

• Which vocabulary works better than the others for the purpose which we have in view?

• Don’t discard the onto-theological tradition rather which bits might be useful for some current purpose?

• Truth is truth for us.

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Ethics and Science are Equal

• No epistemological difference between– What ought to be– What is– Morality– Science

=

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Narrative

• The way we think and act is embedded in the culture.

• One cannot go beyond one’s own societies procedures of justification.

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No Place for an Objective View

• It is impossible to find a starting point for that lies beyond the contingency of our own temporal context.

End

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No Ultimate Way of Recognizing Truth

• There is no set of transcendent rules by which we can resolve conflicting assertions.

• Conform ourselves only to the constraints that arises through our conversations with our fellow inquirers.

• The only valid guidelines are those of our community

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Community• Renewed appreciation for community

• Not getting things right but loyalty

• Not confrontation but conversation

• Lose metaphysical comfort

• Gain sense of other humans as the only source of guidance

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Anti-foundationalist

• No “first principles”

• Cannot compare with reality

• Just discuss things within an community

• Abandon epistemology for hermeneutics

• Philosophers are not neutral interpreters

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New Utopianism• Hopeful• Rejects relativism that all positions are known to

be equally good—god’s eye view• Looks for mixture of unforced agreement with

tolerant disagreement.• Cultural institutions must be neutral on questions

of the purpose or goal of human existence.

http://www.en-lorraine.com/ventdesforets/photos/utopia01.JPG

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Christian Comments on Rorty• Agree on• Importance of community• Language is not a perfect

representation of reality• Language can be relational• Society does set up some

procedures for justification.• Importance of loyalty• We can want too much

metaphysical comfort• Importance of other humans for

making ethical decisions• Philosophers are not neutral

observers• Unforced agreement good for

society

• Disagree• A real world exists• “What is right” is important and

effects how one should act.• Morality over science• God lies beyond our societal

viewpoints.• Bible is a set of transcendent rules• More than mere discussion is

possible with revelation