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Title: Philosophy and Social Hope by Richard Rorty ISBN: 0-14-026288-1 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: January, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.11 (18 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A Book Useful for Thoughtful People Everywhere
Comment: To those already acquainted with the writing and thought of Richard M Rorty the contents of "Philosophy and Social Hope" will offer few surprises - and yet I would still recommend that such people should get a copy of this book! It is Rorty's endless ability to repeat his thoughts in new and (always) interesting ways which is one of his greatest attractions. I first got into Rorty via the postmodernism debate and, having read much of his work since then, I have become much enamoured of his pragmatic (Pragmatic) approach which fuzzes up distinctions beloved of Platonic/Kantian types and which longs to be "better/hopeful" rather than "right".
Although Rorty writes here for a generalised audience (and its not always obvious from his writing whether the work is "academic" or not), he does write as if his readers know what he is talking about. Thus, readers who come equipped with a Deweyan, Davidsonian, Jamesian vocabulary are more likely to be able to appropriate what he is saying more easily. I suspect any adherents of realist philosophy who stumble across this book will not get past the introduction and will go away angry and scandalised that such thought be allowed to exist, much less be promoted and read.
I found the opening three sections (autobiographical, pragmatic theoretical and pragmatic applicative) by far the most interesting and enjoyable here - together with a stimulating "afterword" on "Pragmatism, Pluralism and Postmodernism" - which is itself a good place to start reading this book. Being a non-American, I was less enthusiastic about reading Rorty's thoughts and hopes for that country. However, much of what he says is broadly aplicative to my own country and the reader is always free to look behind the scenes of Rorty's argument and, once more, gaze upon what motivates his arguments. In closing, I would argue that Rorty is the most significant figure writing on culture in general and philosophy in particular at the moment. This collection of his works over the last decade is an accessible and stimulating way to appropriate that work. Mucho recommendo!
Rating: 2
Summary: some interesting essays, but overall, not worth the time.
Comment: Essays such as "Globalization, the Politics of Identity and Social Hope" and "Looking backwards from the year 2096" are interesting reads and are well written. Rorty offers some valid criticisms of academia and some interesting viewpoints on important issues. I don't generally find myself disagreeing with too many of his ideals as I do with his approach to them. His relativistism meets pragmatism style makes me feel like I'm reading the Economist. Now the Economist writes some pretty good articles that seem to be observing "both sides" (as if there were only 2 sides in any given issue.) but in the end simply settling on some slightly redressed version of the status quo. Both Rorty and the Economist give me the same feeling, they will say that there is so much to be done in the world and wouldn't it be nice if we could do something, but there is no lively spirit to their writings, just posturing from some lofty height. If you like reading Pat Buchanan's yearnings for the mythical old days, you might find some interest in this book. Otherwise, stay away. Besides, how many times have you read a good philosophy (I'm sorry, "anti-philosophy") book published by Penguin?
Rating: 4
Summary: A great introduction to Rorty and pragmatism
Comment: The essays collected in Philosophy and Social Hope cover a pretty wide span, from philosophy (of course) to academia to literature to politics, but they rarely fail to be interesting and accessible. I particularly enjoyed some of the early essays, which serve as an excellent introduction to pragmatism, an set of ideas I previously wasn't very familiar with. This was because I'd recently thought myself into an intelllectual corner of sorts, and certain aspects of pragmatism provided a neat way out. I don't agree with all aspects of it, but the ones I disagree with were still useful to read about.
On the less philosophical topics, Rorty is a bit less consistent. His perspectives on academia are quite interesting, and certainly backed up with personal experience, but on politics he is not as good. His knowledge of politics and economics doesn't seem to be particularly exhaustive, and he often fails to back up his assertions with specific examples or verifiable evidence. Rorty's political writings are still worth reading, and I agree with most of his opinions, but he isn't nearly as cogent or authoritative there as in philosophy.
There are also a couple of essays that I just skipped over because they seemed to be obscure commentaries on intellectual disputes I knew nothing about. This is not a widespread problem in the book, though, and it is well worth reading whether or not you have philosophical background knowledge. (My own knowledge of that area is pretty limited.)
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Title: Achieving Our Country : Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America by Richard Rorty ISBN: 0674003128 Publisher: Harvard Univ Pr Pub. Date: September, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity by Richard Rorty ISBN: 0521367816 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 24 February, 1989 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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Title: Consequences of Pragmatism: Essays, 1972-1980 by Richard Rorty ISBN: 0816610649 Publisher: Univ of Minnesota Pr (Txt) Pub. Date: July, 1985 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Truth and Progress: Volume 3 : Philosophical Papers by Richard Rorty ISBN: 0521556864 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 13 March, 1998 List Price(USD): $27.00 |
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Title: Pragmatism : A Reader by Louis Menand ISBN: 0679775447 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 07 October, 1997 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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