Assistant Professor of Political Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
Abstract
Richard Rorty claims that, during the Enlightenment, philosophy helped the West get rid of medieval religious beliefs, and now it is time to get rid of philosophy and its dogmas too. Attacking foundationalism, he argues that we cannot devise a philosophical system on foundations that are certain and evident for all, and then deduce certain values and norms from it. Philosophy cannot be of any help for making a distinction between warranted and unwarranted assertions in morality and politics. The validity of moral and political values can only be shown pragmatically, when they make human life and coexistence easier in practice. Philosophy at the most can summarize systematically our culturally influenced intuitions, reconcile our judgments in various areas of knowledge, predict the consequences of combining certain strands of thought, and finally provide an argument for whatever we or our clients have decided to do. It may be asked whether Rorty, by separating philosophy from politics, has not deprived us from a valuable tool for recognising and criticising deficiencies and inequalities in a society. In this paper, first, Rorty's educational and professional background in philosophy is reviewed. Then, his arguments against philosophy, in general and Western philosophy, in particular, are mentioned briefly. Finally, the functions of philosophy from his point of view are discussed.
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Taghavi,S. M. A. (2009). A Philosopher against Philosophy: An Examination of Richard Rorty's Account of Philosophy. Existence and Knowledge, 0(16), 37-50.
MLA
Taghavi,S. M. A. . "A Philosopher against Philosophy: An Examination of Richard Rorty's Account of Philosophy", Existence and Knowledge, 0, 16, 2009, 37-50.
HARVARD
Taghavi S. M. A. (2009). 'A Philosopher against Philosophy: An Examination of Richard Rorty's Account of Philosophy', Existence and Knowledge, 0(16), pp. 37-50.
CHICAGO
S. M. A. Taghavi, "A Philosopher against Philosophy: An Examination of Richard Rorty's Account of Philosophy," Existence and Knowledge, 0 16 (2009): 37-50,
VANCOUVER
Taghavi S. M. A. A Philosopher against Philosophy: An Examination of Richard Rorty's Account of Philosophy. Existence and Knowledge, 2009; 0(16): 37-50.
