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Rorty’s Promise in Metaethics
In: Contemporary PragmatismLittle attention is given to Richard Rorty’s metaethical views. No doubt this stems from the fact that most commentators are more interested in his metaphilosophical views; most see his metaethical views, offered in scattered passages, as just the downstream runoff from higher-level reflection. This article considers Rorty’s metaethics on their own merits, quite apart from whether his global picture works. I ultimately argue that Rorty’s metaethical outlook is attractive but beset by internal difficulties. Specifically, I contend that Rorty does not and cannot remain faithful to the methodological approach to metaethics for which he advocates. At the paper’s close, I gesture at a nearby methodological approach that best approximates Rorty’s metaethical methodology.
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| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 408 | 40 | 4 |
| Full Text Views | 223 | 2 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 39 | 3 | 0 |
Little attention is given to Richard Rorty’s metaethical views. No doubt this stems from the fact that most commentators are more interested in his metaphilosophical views; most see his metaethical views, offered in scattered passages, as just the downstream runoff from higher-level reflection. This article considers Rorty’s metaethics on their own merits, quite apart from whether his global picture works. I ultimately argue that Rorty’s metaethical outlook is attractive but beset by internal difficulties. Specifically, I contend that Rorty does not and cannot remain faithful to the methodological approach to metaethics for which he advocates. At the paper’s close, I gesture at a nearby methodological approach that best approximates Rorty’s metaethical methodology.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 408 | 40 | 4 |
| Full Text Views | 223 | 2 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 39 | 3 | 0 |