Richard Rorty

Date of Birth: October 4, 1931

Zodiac Sign: Libra

Date of Death: June 8, 2007

Biography

Richard McKay Rorty was an influential American philosopher associated with the pragmatist tradition. Born on October 4, 1931, in New York City, Rorty is best known for his writings on the philosophy of language, the philosophy of mind, and his critiques of traditional epistemology. He held academic positions at several prestigious institutions, including Yale University, Princeton University, the University of Virginia, and Stanford University. Rorty earned his Ph.D. from Yale in 1956 and gained prominence through his groundbreaking book “Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature” (1979), which challenged the traditional notion of knowledge as a representation of reality. Rorty’s work often emphasized the contingency of language, the historicity of human understanding, and the rejection of the objective truth in favor of a more pragmatic approach to philosophy. He was a proponent of “philosophical pragmatism,” drawing inspiration from figures such as John Dewey, William James, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Throughout his career, Rorty sought to bridge the gap between analytic and continental philosophy and fostered interdisciplinary dialogue. Rorty passed away on June 8, 2007, in Palo Alto, California.

5 Interesting Facts about Richard Rorty

1. Richard Rorty was a third-generation leftist intellectual; his parents were writers and activists.

2. He received a MacArthur Fellowship, also known as a “Genius Grant,” in 1981.

3. Rorty was an advocate for a “post-philosophical” culture where philosophy would be integrated into broader cultural contexts.

4. He co-edited “The Linguistic Turn” (1967), a seminal anthology that influenced the development of analytic philosophy.

5. Rorty believed in the power of literature to advance moral and social progress, often citing authors like George Orwell and Vladimir Nabokov.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Richard Rorty

1. “Truth is what your contemporaries let you get away with.”

2. “Take care of freedom and truth will take care of itself.”

3. “The world does not speak. Only we do.”

4. “There is nothing deep down inside us except what we have put there ourselves.”

5. “Solidarity is not discovered by reflection but created.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Richard Rorty’s net worth was never publicly disclosed, but as a successful philosopher and academic with a long career, he was comfortable financially, though not wealthy by typical standards.