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Rorty on Conversation as an Achievement of Hope

Rorty on Conversation as an Achievement of Hope Contemporary Pragmatism Vol. 1, No. 1 (June 2004), 83-102 Editions Rodopi © 2004 Richard Rorty's ideal of "keeping the conversation going" requires a further distinction between genuine conversation and simply "going through the motions" if we are to make the most of this recommendation. I argue for a requirement for the conditions of conversation, which draws on Rorty's emphasis on the importance of hope for defining our social vocabularies. On this view, hope is a belief about what is possible for the future. In conversation, hope for the conversation actually conditions the questions one asks in the present. And, in genuine conversation, the participants share a common hope in answering a question. One of Richard Rorty's most famous and controversial philosophical positions has been his replacement of knowledge with conversation, whereby the old goals of progress, truth, and consensus under ideal conditions are replaced with Rorty's ideal of "keeping the conversation going." Part of Rorty's point in giving historical accounts of philosophy is to urge listeners to realize that traditional epistemological projects have failed. In light of this, we must stop asking questions motivated by such projects, and get back to vital questions. We must embrace a more http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Contemporary Pragmatism Brill

Rorty on Conversation as an Achievement of Hope

Contemporary Pragmatism , Volume 1 (1): 83 – Apr 21, 2004

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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© Copyright 2004 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
1572-3429
eISSN
1875-8185
DOI
10.1163/18758185-90000129
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Contemporary Pragmatism Vol. 1, No. 1 (June 2004), 83-102 Editions Rodopi © 2004 Richard Rorty's ideal of "keeping the conversation going" requires a further distinction between genuine conversation and simply "going through the motions" if we are to make the most of this recommendation. I argue for a requirement for the conditions of conversation, which draws on Rorty's emphasis on the importance of hope for defining our social vocabularies. On this view, hope is a belief about what is possible for the future. In conversation, hope for the conversation actually conditions the questions one asks in the present. And, in genuine conversation, the participants share a common hope in answering a question. One of Richard Rorty's most famous and controversial philosophical positions has been his replacement of knowledge with conversation, whereby the old goals of progress, truth, and consensus under ideal conditions are replaced with Rorty's ideal of "keeping the conversation going." Part of Rorty's point in giving historical accounts of philosophy is to urge listeners to realize that traditional epistemological projects have failed. In light of this, we must stop asking questions motivated by such projects, and get back to vital questions. We must embrace a more

Journal

Contemporary PragmatismBrill

Published: Apr 21, 2004

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