An Ethics for Today: Finding Common Ground Between Philosophy and Religion

by Richard Rorty; Gianni Vattimo; G. Elijah Dann; Jeffrey Robbins

Publisher:

Columbia University Press

, 2020

One of the most widely discussed philosophers of the 21st century finds common ground between spiritual and secular ethics in this provocative book.

As controversial and he was influential, Richard Rorty developed a brand of philosophical pragmatism that rejects all theories of truth. His groundbreaking work also dismisses modern epistemology and its preoccupation with knowledge and representation. Though he was a strict secularist, Rorty believed there could be no universally valid answers to moral questions. This led him to a surprisingly complex view of religion rarely expressed in his writings.

In this posthumous publication, Rorty finds in the pragmatic thought of John Dewey, John Stuart Mill, William James, and George Santayana, among others, a political imagination shared by religious traditions. Rather than promote belief or nonbelief, Rorty seeks to locate patterns of similarity and difference so an ethics of decency and a politics of solidarity can rise. He particularly responds to Pope Benedict XVI and his campaign against the relativist vision. Whether holding theologians, metaphysicians, or political ideologues to account, Rorty remains steadfast in his opposition to absolute uniformity and its exploitation of political strength.

Product Details

• Title: An Ethics for Today: Finding Common Ground Between Philosophy and Religion
• Authors: Richard Rorty, Gianni Vattimo, G. Elijah Dann, Jeffrey Robbins
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Print Publication Date: 2020
• Logos Release Date: 2024
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9780231525435, 9780231150569, 0231150563, 0231525435
• Resource ID: LLS:9780231525435
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-04-05T10:12:44Z

About the Authors

Richard Rorty (1931-2007) was professor of comparative literature and philosophy at Stanford University. His Columbia University Press books are The Future of Religion (with Gianni Vattimo) and What's the Use of Truth?Gianni Vattimo is emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of Turin and a member of the European Parliament. His books include The Responsibility of the Philosopher; Christianity, Truth, and Weakening Faith: A Dialogue (with René Girard); Nihilism and Emancipation: Ethics, Politics, and Law; and After Christianity.G. Elijah Dann teaches philosophy and religion for Simon Fraser University and is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Studies in Religion and Culture at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. His books include After Rorty: The Possibilities for Ethics and Religious Belief; God and the Public Square; Leaving Fundamentalism: Personal Stories; and Philosophy: A New Introduction.