Breaking the "mirror of nature"
Rorty urged abandoning the mirror metaphor of knowledge as the mind accurately reflecting the world, treating philosophy as an ongoing conversation rather than a ladder to final truth — to much controversy.
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Rorty
Neo-pragmatist; anti-representationalism
Those Who Ground an Idea Into a Whole System · Disciples & School-Builders
Neo-pragmatismAnti-foundationalismPost-philosophy
Who they are
Rorty (1931–2007), the American neo-pragmatist, in Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature attacked the image of "mind as a mirror reflecting reality," holding that knowledge is not correspondence but useful conversation and cooperation. Blending analytic philosophy, pragmatism and Continental thought, he called for a "post-philosophical culture."
Primary sourcesRorty, Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature, Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity
Key stories
Relationships
Mentor
Echoes today
Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.
"Post-philosophical culture"His anti-foundationalism sparked wide debate across the humanities.