Richard Rorty

Arguably the most influential of all contemporary English-speaking philosophers, Richard Rorty has transformed the way many philosophers think about the discipline and the traditional ways of practicing it. The essays in this volume offer a balanced exposition and critique of Rorty's views on knowledge, language, truth, science, morality and politics. Written by a distinguished roster of philosophers, this introduction presents a valuable overview of Rorty's philosophical vision. It will appeal as well to students in the social sciences, literary studies, cultural studies and political theory. Charles Guigon, a Professor of Philosophy at the University of South Florida, has published widely on existentialism, psychotherapy and Heidegger, and edited the Cambridge Companion to Heidegger (1993). Provost and Professor at the University of New Hampshire, David R. Hiley, is also the author of other works, including Philosophy in Question: Essays on a Pyrrhonian Theme (University of Chicago, 1988) and The Interpretive Turn: Philosophy, Science and Culture (Cornell, 1991).

1. Introduction: Richard Rorty and contemporary philosophy Charles Guignon and David Hiley; 2. Rorty's critique of epistemology Gary Gutting; 3. Rorty on knowledge and truth Michael Williams; 4. From realism or anti-realism to science as solidarity Joseph Rouse; 5. Rorty's democratic hermeneutics Georgia Warnke; 6. Rorty's inspirational liberalism Richard J. Bernstein; 7. Don't be cruel: reflections on Rortyan liberalism Jean Bethke Elshtain; 8. Rorty and philosophy Charles Taylor.

Arguably the most influential of all contemporary English-speaking philosophers, Richard Rorty has transformed the way many inside and outside philosophy think about the discipline and the traditional ways of practising it.