Richard Rorty

Richard Rorty's neopragmatist philosophy marks him as one of the most gifted and controversial thinkers of his time. Antifoundationalism and antirepresentationalism are the guiding motifs in his thought. He wants to jettison a set of philosophical distinctions—appearance/reality, mind/body, morality/prudence—that have dominated and shaped the history of Western philosophy since the time of Plato. It is a position that has propelled him into a series of heated debates with philosophers who are the most influential of their generation—analytic philosophers such as Quine, Davidson, Rawls, and Putnam; as well as Continental philosophers, including Habermas, Derrida, Foucault, and Lyotard. At the same time, Rorty's work has helped to break down the artificial separation between these two wings of Western philosophy by acting as an intellectual bridge between them. This distinctive collection by scholars from around the world focuses upon the cultural, educational, and political significance of his thought. The nine essays which comprise the collection examine a variety of related themes: Rorty's neopragmatism, his view of philosophy, his philosophy of education and culture, Rorty's comparison between Dewey and Foucault, his relation to postmodern theory, and, also his form of political liberalism.

This distinctive collection by scholars from around the world focuses upon the cultural, educational, and political significance of Richard Rorty's thought. The nine essays which comprise the collection examine a variety of related themes: Rorty's neopragmatism, his view of philosophy, his philosophy of education and culture, Rorty's comparison between Dewey and Foucault, his relation to postmodern theory, and, also his form of political liberalism.

Booknews

The neopragmatic philosophy of Richard Rorty rejects the Cartesianism that still underpins much Western thought and its political implications have drawn fire from both left and right. Peters (education, U. of Auckland, New Zealand) and Ghiraldelli (contemporary philosophy, U. of S<~a>o Paulo, Brazil) present nine essays that examine various themes from Rorty's work. Among the topics included are a refutation of Rorty's account of Deweyan metaphysics, a defense of Rorty against his Habermasian critics, a rereading of Rorty's criticisms of Foucault, a description of Rorty's anti-Marxism and political liberalism, and a criticism of his voluntarist philosophy and his essentially reformist political work. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Michael A. Peters is research professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Glasgow. Paulo Ghiraldelli, Jr., is professor of contemporary philosophy at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.