Richard Rorty
Richard Rorty: A Philosopher's Quest for Pragmatism
==============================================
Full Name and Common Aliases
Richard McKay Rorty was an American philosopher, born on October 4, 1931, in New York City. He is commonly known as Dick Rorty among his friends and acquaintances.
Birth and Death Dates
Rorty passed away on June 8, 2007, at the age of 75.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Nationality: American
Profession: Philosopher, Academic, Author
Richard Rorty's life was a testament to his unwavering dedication to philosophy. He spent most of his professional career as a professor of philosophy, first at Wellesley College (1958-1961) and later at Princeton University (1961-1982), before moving on to the State University of New York at Stony Brook (1982-1998). Rorty was also a prominent public intellectual, known for his engaging writing style and ability to connect philosophical ideas with everyday life.
Early Life and Background
Rorty grew up in a family that valued education. His father, James Rorty, was an editor and writer who worked on several notable publications, including the _New Republic_. Richard's mother, Winifred Raushenbush Rorty, was also a writer and educator. The Rorty household was filled with lively discussions about politics, literature, and philosophy, which instilled in young Richard a love for intellectual inquiry.
Rorty's academic pursuits took him to Yale University, where he earned his undergraduate degree (1952) and later completed his graduate studies, earning his Ph.D. in 1956 under the supervision of Paul Weiss. His early academic interests lay in the areas of philosophy of science and epistemology.
Major Accomplishments
Rorty's work had a profound impact on various fields of study, including philosophy, politics, and education. Some of his most notable contributions include:
Pragmatic Turn: Rorty is perhaps best known for his work in pragmatism, which he developed through a critical examination of traditional philosophical theories. He argued that truth is not an objective or absolute concept but rather a product of social and cultural consensus.
Critique of Traditional Philosophy: Rorty's critiques of modern philosophy, particularly the dominant views of the 20th century, helped to pave the way for new approaches to knowledge and understanding.
Philosophy as Social Practice: Rorty emphasized the importance of considering philosophy as a social practice that should engage with everyday life, rather than isolating itself in academic circles.Notable Works or Actions
Some of Rorty's most influential works include:
"The Linguistic Turn: Recent Essays in Philosophical Method" (1967)
"Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature" (1979)
"Consequences of Pragmatism" (1982)
Impact and Legacy
Richard Rorty's work has had a lasting impact on various fields, including philosophy, politics, education, and sociology. His ideas continue to inspire new generations of thinkers and scholars.
Rorty's pragmatic approach to truth and knowledge challenges traditional notions of objectivity and highlights the importance of considering social and cultural context in philosophical inquiry. His emphasis on the role of language and culture in shaping our understanding of reality has influenced fields as diverse as anthropology, sociology, and literary theory.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Richard Rorty's legacy extends far beyond his academic contributions. He was a passionate advocate for social justice and human rights, using his platform to speak out against racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression. His commitment to pragmatism and his willingness to engage with everyday life have made him an iconic figure in the world of philosophy.
Through his writing and public engagement, Rorty has left behind a rich legacy that continues to inspire readers and thinkers around the world. His quotes and ideas remain widely referenced in academic and popular discourse, a testament to his enduring influence on contemporary thought.
In conclusion, Richard Rorty's life was a remarkable journey of intellectual exploration, social activism, and commitment to pragmatism. His work continues to challenge traditional notions of philosophy and inspire new generations of thinkers and scholars.
Quotes by Richard Rorty
I think you can have a Left that isn’t culturally conservative talking about lunch-bucket issues.
The most important advance that the West has yet made is to develop a secularist moral tradition.
I think that a good Left is a party that always thinks about the future and doesn’t care much about our past sins.
Academic disciplines are subject to being overtaken by attacks of “knowingness”- a state of mind and soul that prevents shudders of awe and makes one immune to enthusiasm.
You read the pragmatists and all you know is: not Descartes, not Kant, not Plato. It’s like aspirin. You can’t use aspirin to give yourself power, you take it to get rid of headaches. In that way, pragmatism is a philosophical therapy. It helps you stop asking the unhelpful questions.
At 12, I knew that the point of being human was to spend one’s life fighting social injustice.
To say that truth is not out there is simply to say that where there are no sentences there is no truth, that sentences are elements of human languages, and that languages are human creations.~ The suggestion that truth~ is out there is a legacy of an age in which the world was seen as the creation of a being who had a language his own.
Truth is a property of sentences, since sentences are dependent for their existence upon vocabularies, and since vocabularies are made by human beings, so are truths.