An Ethics for Today

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.