Objectivity, Relativism, and Truth: Volume 1: Philosophical Papers - Hardcover

Rorty, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521353696 ISBN 13: 9780521353694

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1990

Synopsis

A continuation of the philosopher's attack on traditional attempts to establish objective fundamental truths concludes with reflections on the relation of social democratic politics to philosophy.

About this title

Reviews

Rorty has added an introduction to 14 papers previously published between 1980 and 1989. The three main sections offer a contention that knowledge, including scientific knowledge, is not a matter of truth or falsity, but of acquiring useful habits of action for coping with reality; an examination of D. Davidson's views on explanation, truth, and language; and an exploration of the "communitarian" idea that a "democratic, progressive, pluralist community" can avoid questions about a mind- or language-independent reality by striving after "intersubjective agreement and novelty." Although the essays contain points worth pondering, Rorty's writing is somewhat opaque and his argument lacks concrete detail. This reader remains unpersuaded that communitarian manipulation can satisfactorily replace rational inquiry into objective reality.
- Robert Hoffman, York Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1990
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521353696
• ISBN 13: 9780521353694
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 236