Richard Rorty challenges the traditional epistemological project that defines the mind as a glass reflecting an external reality. He argues that the historical quest for certain knowledge, rooted in the Cartesian and Kantian frameworks, relies on the false assumption that philosophy must provide a permanent neutral matrix for all inquiry. By analyzing the linguistic turn and the failures of representationalism, Rorty proposes that mental states are not internal mirrors of the world but are instead part of a complex social and linguistic practice. He advocates for replacing objective truth-seeking with hermeneutics, suggesting that knowledge is a matter of conversation and social justification rather than a structural correspondence to nature.
This text is for students of analytic philosophy and intellectual history who want to understand the transition from modern to postmodern thought. Readers engage with this work to see how the foundational problems of consciousness and objective representation emerged as historical accidents. Those who finish the book gain a perspective on pragmatism that prioritizes social utility over metaphysical accuracy. It provides a toolkit for viewing intellectual progress as an ongoing dialogue between cultures rather than an accumulation of universal truths.
- Published
- 1979
- Language
- EN
