Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. oncluding on "Universality and Truth" from Richard Rorty's Pragmatism As Anti-Authoritarianism. Start with the previous part, or better yet, ep. 349. Despite Rorty's rejection of transcendent Truth, he claims not to be a relativist. An absolutist accusing someone of being a relativist is Continue Reading …
Ep. 350: Rorty on Justification and Essentialism (Part One)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. On "Universality and Truth" and "Pan-Relationalism," which are lectures 3-5 in Richard Rorty's Pragmatism As Anti-Authoritarianism, which we began discussing last episode. Mark, Wes, Seth, and Dylan continue to hash through Rorty's pragmatism, which in this book is given in relation to how Continue Reading …
Ep. 350: Rorty on Justification and Essentialism (Part Two for Supporters)
Concluding on "Universality and Truth" from Richard Rorty's Pragmatism As Anti-Authoritarianism. Start with the previous part, or better yet, ep. 349. Despite Rorty's rejection of transcendent Truth, he claims not to be a relativist. An absolutist accusing someone of being a relativist is saying "either our beliefs are caused by things in the world or we are constructing Continue Reading …
Ep. 350: Rorty on Justification and Essentialism (Part One for Supporters)
On "Universality and Truth" and "Pan-Relationalism," which are lectures 3-5 in Richard Rorty's Pragmatism As Anti-Authoritarianism, which we began discussing last episode. Mark, Wes, Seth, and Dylan continue to hash through Rorty's pragmatism, which in this book is given in relation to how to best promote democracy. Rorty thinks democracy can "stand on its own two feet"; it Continue Reading …
Ep. 349: Rorty’s Pluralistic Pragmatism (Part Two)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. Continuing from part one on Richard Rorty's Pragmatism As Anti-Authoritarianism, ch. 1, "Pragmatism and Religion" and 2, "Pragmatism as Romantic Polytheism." Sponsors: Apply for convenient term life insurance from Fabric by Gerber Life at meetfabric.com/PEL. Give online therapy a try at Continue Reading …
Ep. 349: Rorty’s Pluralistic Pragmatism (Part One)
Subscribe to get parts 1 and 2 of this now, ad-free, plus tons of bonus content. On Richard Rorty's Pragmatism As Anti-Authoritarianism (written 1997), ch. 1-2. Should democracy be defended on absolutist grounds, e.g. by reference to God-given or natural rights, the nature of Man, or the dictates of Reason? Sponsor: Get a $1/month e-commerce trial at Continue Reading …
Ep. 349: Rorty’s Pluralistic Pragmatism (Part Two for Supporters)
Continuing from part one on Richard Rorty's Pragmatism As Anti-Authoritarianism, ch. 1, "Pragmatism and Religion" and 2, "Pragmatism as Romantic Polytheism." Rorty evaluates James, Dewey, and Peirce on religion and finds Dewey's approach most fruitful toward promoting democracy. While James promoted tolerance, Dewey thought that we should regulate our actions and beliefs by Continue Reading …
Ep. 349: Rorty’s Pluralistic Pragmatism (Part One for Supporters)
On Richard Rorty's Pragmatism As Anti-Authoritarianism (written 1997), ch. 1-2. Should democracy be defended on absolutist grounds, e.g. by reference to God-given or natural rights, the nature of Man, or the dictates of Reason? Throughout this book (adapted from a series of 1997 lectures but not published until 2021 after Rorty's death), Rorty argues that democracy, ethics, Continue Reading …
PREVIEWS-Eps 192-193 Allan Bloom & Liberal Education Follow-Ups
A few highlights from recent supplementary discussions on Allan Bloom (his takes on Nietzsche and Freud among other topics) and two new readings originally meant for ep. 193: Leo Strauss's "Mass Education and Democracy" (1967) and Richard Rorty's "Democracy and Philosophy" (2007). Plus, you can help determine the future of PEL audioplays! Become a PEL Citizen or $5 Patreon Continue Reading …
Ep. 193 Follow-Up: Strauss and Rorty on Liberal Education and Democracy (Citizens Only)
Wes and Dylan discuss two articles selected but later rejected for ep. 193: Leo Strauss's "Mass Education and Democracy" (1967) and Richard Rorty's "Democracy and Philosophy" (2007). Must philosophical training, or liberal education more generally, necessarily be restricted a privileged minority? Thanks for being a PEL Citizen and supporting this extra discussion! Continue Reading …
Episode 157: Richard Rorty on Politics for the Left (Part Two)
Continuing on Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in 20th Century America (1998). We talk more about Rorty's description of the conflict between the "reformist left" and the "cultural left." Do political-comedy shows serve a a positive political purpose? Can an enlightened political viewpoint really be a mass movement at all? Is it better to pursue specific political Continue Reading …
Episode 157: Richard Rorty on Politics for the Left (Part One)
On Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in 20th Century America (1998). What makes for efficacious progressive politics? Rorty has been cited much recently as predicting the rise of Trump. In this book, he gives us a history of the political left, and draws a dividing line between old-time reformist leftist intellectuals like Upton Sinclair who worked for real change and Continue Reading …
Ep. 157: Richard Rorty on Politics for the Left (Citizen Edition)
On Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in 20th Century America (1998). What makes for efficacious progressive politics? Rorty has been cited much recently as predicting the rise of Trump. In this book, he gives us a history of the political left, and draws a dividing line between old-time reformist leftist intellectuals like Upton Sinclair who worked for real change and Continue Reading …
Episode 155: Richard Rorty Against Epistemology
On Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (1979), Part II: "Mirroring" (Ch. 3–4). Is a "theory of knowledge" possible? Rorty says that while of course psychology has interesting things to say, any specifically philosophical effort is doomed. Why? Because there is no fixed point outside of the "knowledge language game" that provides an ultimate grounding. Rorty draws on Continue Reading …
Ep. 155: Richard Rorty Against Epistemology (Citizen Edition)
On Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (1979), Part II: "Mirroring" (Ch. 3–4). Is a "theory of knowledge" possible? Rorty says that while of course psychology has interesting things to say, any specifically philosophical effort is doomed. Why? Because there is no fixed point outside of the "knowledge language game" that provides an ultimate grounding. Rorty draws on Continue Reading …
Richard Rorty and the Origins of Post-Truth
In the chaotic flurry of consternation, excitement, and viral postmortems that followed the US election, two notions stood out to me as slightly contradictory yet strangely connected: the dreaded concept of “post-truth,” and the prescience of a philosopher who supposedly predicted Trump 18 years ago. “Post-truth” describes the blatant disregard for facts that has been Continue Reading …
Episode 153: Richard Rorty: There Is No Mind-Body Problem
On Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (1979), Part I: "Our Glassy Essence" (mostly Ch. 1). "The mind" seems to be an unavoidable part of our basic conceptual vocabulary, but Rorty thinks not, and he wants to use the history of philosophy as a kind of therapy to show that many of our seemingly insoluble problems like the relation between mind and body are a result of Continue Reading …
Ep. 153: Richard Rorty: There Is No Mind-Body Problem (Citizen Edition)
On Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (1979), Part I: "Our Glassy Essence" (mostly Ch. 1). "The mind" seems to be an unavoidable part of our basic conceptual vocabulary, but Rorty thinks not, and he wants to use the history of philosophy as a kind of therapy to show that many of our seemingly insoluble problems like the relation between mind and body are a result of Continue Reading …
Not School Groups In December
The annual holiday frenzy has begun, but our Not School groups will still be soldiering on through December. Most groups have decided to carry November's readings over, so anyone interested in riveting philosophical conversation has another shot at joining up with them. There are also proposals up in the Citizens' Forum to read on some other juicy philosophical topics. Not Continue Reading …
Pirsig as an American Pragmatist
Philosophology is to philosophy as art history is to painting, Pirsig says. He uses that ridiculous-sounding word to draw a distinction between comparative analysis and original thought, between critical examination and creative production. In the tradition of Emerson's famous 1837 speech, "The American Scholar", Pirsig is calling for creativity and originality. This is not to Continue Reading …