Study of Richard Rorty’s New Pragmatism
Abstract: The study starts with the derivation and original meaning of “pragmatism”, focusing on the new appearance of “pragmatism” in the dimension of “linguistic turn”, “truth” and “progress”, and exhibiting the constitution of Rorty’s theoretical system in regard to his inheritance of philosophers and philosophical schools with different backgrounds.
Keywords: Rorty, new pragmatism, language, truth, progress
理查罗蒂新实效主义的研究
摘 要 罗蒂是当代美国最有影响力的哲学家、思想家，也是美国新实用主义哲学的主要代表之一。本文将从“实用主义”的词源和原初意义出发，探讨“实用主义”一词在罗蒂的“语言学转向”、“真理”、“进步”中呈现出来的新面貌，并结合罗蒂所继承之各家各派的观点，展现罗蒂的理论体系构成。
关 键 词 罗蒂；新实用主义；语言；真理；进步
Contents
Abstract 1
摘 要 1
Introduction 2
1.1 The background of Richard Rorty 2
1.2 Pragmatism and its first definition from Pierce 3
1.3 William James and John Dewey 4
1.4 Rorty’s conclusion of the differences between classical pragmatism and new pragmatism 5
2 The constitution of Rorty’s theory 6
2.1 “Linguistic Turn” and pragmatism 6
2.1.1 Early Analytic Philosophy 6
2.1.2 Later Wittgenstein’s “language-game” 7
2.1.3 Post-Wittgenstein analytic philosophy 8
2.1.4 Continental “linguistic turn” 9
2.1.5 From “experience” to “language” 10
2.2 Ideas about truth 11
2.2.1 Traditional “the mirror of nature” 11
2.2.2 Nietzsche’s ideas about truth 12
2.2.3 Rorty’s related ideas about Heidegger and Derrida 13
2.2.4 Rorty’s conclusion: metaphors and pragmatism 14
2.3 The ideas about social progress 16
2.3.1 Utilitarianism and Liberalism 16
2.3.2 Combination of Hegel and Darwin 17
2.3.3 Progress of morality 18
3. Conclusion 19
Work Cited 20
Acknowledgements 21
