Rorty on Why Philosophy?

California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Latest update: April 10, 2000
Faculty on the Site.

Heidegger believed that if we accept Plato's search for the ideal, as much of Western philosophy has done, that we cannot ultimately succeed because it is beyond the human limitation to "know" the ideal. Thus Heidegger believed that pragmatism, seeking ways to live more happily and effectively within our limitations, was where Western philosophy has to end up. And Heidegger was unhappy with that state of affairs. Rorty agrees with Heidegger, that pragmatism is where we end up. But Rorty thinks that's a pretty good place to land. See Rorty on Why Philosophy?

Click on any of the numbers to see what jeanne thinks.

How could we use Buscaglia's suggestion that we should not "expect" of others help us to understand why Rorty and Heidegger view this culmination of the search for the ideal in pragmatism?

Do you think that this same sense of expectation exists today between our liberals and our conservatives?

Do you think affirmative action was an attempt to deal with expectations in this sense?

Could you make up a dummy table to plan a study to evaluate affirmative action in this sense?

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