Richard Rorty and America | The Philosopher’s Zone

Intro

In this episode of “The Philosopher’s Zone,” the focus is on the American philosopher Richard Rorty and his remarkably accurate predictions about American politics and culture. Rorty’s work challenges assumptions on both the left and the right, offering valuable insights into the challenges faced by American democracy and social equality. His essays on politics, some of which were previously unpublished, provide a fresh perspective on American politics.

Main Takeaways

Rorty’s Predictions and Insights

• Richard Rorty made remarkably detailed and accurate predictions about the state of American politics and culture 35 years in the future back in 1998.
• His predictions about the rise of a Trump-like figure and a populist revolt gained attention during the 2016 presidential election.
• Rorty’s insight was that economic inequality and insecurity were being ignored, leading to a shift in focus from changing laws and public policies to changing culture, which had a dark side.
• He predicted a bottom-up populist revolt, where the non-urban electorate would challenge the political establishment.
• Rorty also predicted the erosion of civil rights progress made by marginalized groups and the white backlash to Barack Obama’s presidency.

Rorty’s Critique of Identity Politics

• Rorty was critical of identity politics for its focus on repairing social stigma and humiliation, emphasizing the need to focus on economic remedies rather than cultural battles.
• While acknowledging the successes of identity politics in improving the treatment of stigmatized groups, Rorty saw a dark side to it, noting that economic inequality was increasing and certain constituencies were being overlooked.
• He believed in a certain kind of patriotism and criticized the elitist disdain of intellectuals for the masses in America, particularly academia.
• Rorty emphasized reducing anti-black racism and white grievance, but didn’t prioritize direct remedies for racial or sexual injustice. He focused on highlighting what’s shared and building an inclusive moral community.

Rorty’s Views on Philosophy and Politics

• Rorty believed that philosophy played a significant role in Western political thinking but was ultimately replaced by literature as a vehicle for ethical reflection.
• He criticized the attempt to find a non-human foundation for political goals, leading to philosophy becoming more abstract and removed from social and political reality.
• Rorty approved of postmodern skepticism and rejected the idea of an intrinsic character of reality or a correspondence to reality as the mark of truth.
• His critiques of truth and realism provide insight into why appeals to truth and facts regularly fail to persuade those who cling to a different worldview.

Rorty’s Legacy and Writing Style

• Rorty’s work continues to offer new perspectives and remains relevant in today’s cultural and political landscape.
• His unpublished materials focus on ethics, politics, metaphysics, and epistemology, including insights about extending moral concern to non-human beings.
• New readers of Rorty and pragmatism are finding more interest and use in his work today.
• Rorty’s writing style combines lucidity and analytic precision with an aesthetic encounter, making it a great literary encounter for philosophy enthusiasts.
• His rejection of explicit argumentation in favor of re-description and imaginative interventions opens up new ways of looking at familiar things, making his essays impactful and thought-provoking.

Summary

Rorty’s Remarkable Predictions and Insights

Richard Rorty, an American philosopher, made remarkably accurate predictions about American politics and culture 35 years in the future back in 1998. His predictions about the rise of a Trump-like figure and a populist revolt gained attention during the 2016 presidential election. Rorty’s insight was that economic inequality and insecurity were being ignored, leading to a shift in focus from changing laws and public policies to changing culture, which had a dark side. He predicted a bottom-up populist revolt, where the non-urban electorate would challenge the political establishment. Rorty also predicted the erosion of civil rights progress made by marginalized groups and the white backlash to Barack Obama’s presidency.

Rorty’s Critique of Identity Politics

Rorty was critical of identity politics for its focus on repairing social stigma and humiliation. He believed that economic remedies should take precedence over cultural battles. While acknowledging the successes of identity politics in improving the treatment of stigmatized groups, Rorty saw a dark side to it. He noted that economic inequality was increasing and certain constituencies were being overlooked. Rorty emphasized reducing anti-black racism and white grievance, but didn’t prioritize direct remedies for racial or sexual injustice. He focused on highlighting what’s shared and building an inclusive moral community.

Rorty’s Views on Philosophy and Politics

Rorty believed that philosophy played a significant role in Western political thinking but was ultimately replaced by literature as a vehicle for ethical reflection. He criticized the attempt to find a non-human foundation for political goals, leading to philosophy becoming more abstract and removed from social and political reality. Rorty approved of postmodern skepticism and rejected the idea of an intrinsic character of reality or a correspondence to reality as the mark of truth. His critiques of truth and realism provide insight into why appeals to truth and facts regularly fail to persuade those who cling to a different worldview.

Rorty’s Legacy and Writing Style

Rorty’s work continues to offer new perspectives and remains relevant in today’s cultural and political landscape. His unpublished materials focus on ethics, politics, metaphysics, and epistemology, including insights about extending moral concern to non-human beings. New readers of Rorty and pragmatism are finding more interest and use in his work today. Rorty’s writing style combines lucidity and analytic precision with an aesthetic encounter, making it a great literary encounter for philosophy enthusiasts. His rejection of explicit argumentation in favor of re-description and imaginative interventions opens up new ways of looking at familiar things, making his essays impactful and thought-provoking.

Conclusion

Richard Rorty’s predictions and insights into American politics and culture offer valuable perspectives on the challenges faced by American democracy and social equality. His critique of identity politics and emphasis on economic remedies provide thought-provoking ideas for addressing societal issues. Rorty’s legacy and writing style continue to captivate readers, offering new perspectives and stimulating intellectual engagement. His work reminds us of the importance of reimagining familiar concepts and building inclusive moral communities.