Objectivity, Relativism, and Truth: Philosophical Papers (Philosophical Papers (Cambridge)) (Volume 1)
Rorty has added an introduction to 14 papers previously published between 1980 and 1989. The three main sections offer a contention that knowledge, including scientific knowledge, is not a matter of truth or falsity, but of acquiring useful habits of action for coping with reality; an examination of D. Davidson's views on explanation, truth, and language; and an exploration of the "communitarian" idea that a "democratic, progressive, pluralist community" can avoid questions about a mind- or language-independent reality by striving after "intersubjective agreement and novelty." Although the essays contain points worth pondering, Rorty's writing is somewhat opaque and his argument lacks concrete detail. This reader remains unpersuaded that communitarian manipulation can satisfactorily replace rational inquiry into objective reality.- Robert Hoffman, York Coll., CUNYCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.