From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Fri Aug 15 2003 - 14:19:10 BST
Matt,
> Steve said:
> Based on what I've read so far, there is much evidence that Rorty is not
> the Communist that Platt seems to think he is and is rather a liberal
> Democrat.
>
> Platt said:
> Is there a difference? :-)
>
> Matt:
> Careful Mr. Demagogue ;-)
Careful Mr. Ad Hominem ;-)
> Also, I wouldn't say that Rorty is a Democrat. Better to say that he's
> a reformist leftist.
What's the difference between a reformist leftist and a Utopian
Socialist?
> Platt said:
> Since Rorty claims to have no principles, you have to wonder why he says
> he "prefers" one thing over another. On what basis does he "prefer"
> other than his whim of the moment?
> Matt:
> Ah, now the philosophical demagoguery begins.
I understand your frustration at not being able to persuade others to
buy Rorty's philosophy. But name-calling is unbecoming to a person of
your obvious tolerance and goodwill..
> (I know I've said on more than one occasion that "I refuse to get
into
> this with so-and-so because I've been over it such-and-such number of
> times," but the fact is I would get into it again if I could think of
> new ways to persuade. That's what academics like Rorty do quite often.
> Rorty's been singing the same philosophical tune for 30 years now. The
> reason he's written so much is that he continues to think of new ways to
> put the same pragmatist point. This is exactly what is required, too.
> Different people will be persuaded by different things. People like
> Platt and I rarely agree on the terms of debate, so I can only try new
> narratives and "arguments" to try and persuade Platt that his way of
> thinking isn't as _preferable_ as mine. So, just count my refusal as
> lack of ingenuity.)
To "prefer" is to make a moral choice. What does Rorty say about such
choices?
"The distinction between morality and prudence, and the term 'moral'
itself, are no longer very useful." (from 'Contingency, Irony and
Solidarity,' 1989)
Is it any mystery that I, as an MOQ advocate, take a dim view of
Rorty's philosophy?
Platt
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