Squonk,
>
> The way i see it, and i hope this is appropriate? Is that Rorty wishes to
> counter, from a professional philosopher's position, the sort of Post
> Modernist, 'Nothing exists beyond the narrative' stuff which is the current
> overwhelming trend?
> But stating there is nothing beyond the narrative is an idealist position
> supporting the 'objective' side of the semiotic sign - in other words, Irony.
> I must leave you to follow this for yourself, because i find it all a bit
> off. I find it a bit off because the bleedin' French got all this stuff going
> and you can't argue with a sceptic!!!!!! ;-P
> Petite pois Rod-der-nee, PETITE POIS!
>
> Peas...
> Squonk.
You are very right in stating the similarity between "Nothing exists beyond the
narrative" and idealism. Rorty's counter to this would be that asking what is
beyond the narrative is a bad question that gets you sucked into saying
idealism type things like "nothing exists beyond the narrative." Its just a
bad question that should be dropped.
I would also offer this about Rorty: he has had very similar problems as
Pirsig. Rorty, on the whole, is not very well liked by professional
philosophers. In fact, he's gone a long way from being a very professional,
narrowlly involved Philosopher, to one of the world's most interesting
philosophers (to borrow Harold Bloom's praise). In the course of his career
he's gone from Professor of Philosophy at Princeton, to University Professor of
the Humanities at the University of Virgina (a non-departmental, kind of
freelance arrangement which allowed him to, in his own words, "teach and write
about anything I pleased, when and as I pleased"), to his present day position
as a Professor in the Comparative Literature department at Stanford (where he
has a history of being more appreciated, rather than in Philosophy
departments). In addition, he gets violently attacked because of his views by
both sides of the political spectrum.
What does all this mean? Well, tough to say, but I remember Pirsig being
ignored by the Philosophical Establishment and Pirsig's hopefulness about being
attacked from two positions that were diametrically opposed....
Matt
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