What Can We Hope For? - by Richard Rorty

About the Book

"Richard Rorty (1931-2007) was among the most influential intellectuals of the latter half of the twentieth century, a thinker whose pragmatist philosophy ranged effortlessly across literature, politics, history, and poetry. To today's wider public Rorty is best known as the philosopher who forewarned of the 2016 US presidential outcome almost two decades in advance when he presciently predicted that a portion of the electorate would "start looking for a strongman to vote for- someone willing to assure them that, once he is elected, the smug bureaucrats, tricky lawyers, overpaid bond salesmen, and postmodernist professors will no longer be calling the shots." Featuring four previously unpublished essays, the writings collected in this volume convey his other prognostications and warnings for contemporary America and the global order-all of which remain surprisingly relevant. What Can We Hope For? showcases Rorty's striking diagnoses of the rising challenges democracies face, at home and abroad, and his timely proposals for how to address them. Written for popular audiences, these essays speak to urgent debates about our collective future, including: the ever-widening economic gap in our societies; the indifference of the rich global north toward the hardships of the poor global south; the populism fueled by sadistic tendencies to stigmatize others based on race, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation; the lack of international political initiatives for tackling overpopulation and environmental devastation; and the twilight of social utopias. He urges us to put our faith in trade unions and universities, bottom-up social campaigns, and bold political visions that thwart ideological pieties. Admirably clear and always thought-provoking, these essays outline Rorty's strategies-more needful now than ever-for fostering social hope and building an inclusive global community of trust"--

Book Synopsis

Prescient essays about the state of our politics from the philosopher who predicted that a populist demagogue would become president of the United States

Richard Rorty, one of the most influential intellectuals of recent decades, is perhaps best known today as the philosopher who, almost two decades before the 2016 U.S. presidential election, warned of the rise of a Trumpian strongman in America. What Can We Hope For? gathers nineteen of Rorty's essays on American and global politics, including four previously unpublished and many lesser-known and hard-to-find pieces.

In these provocative and compelling essays, Rorty confronts the critical challenges democracies face at home and abroad, including populism, growing economic inequality, and overpopulation and environmental devastation. In response, he offers optimistic and realistic ideas about how to address these crises. He outlines strategies for fostering social hope and building an inclusive global community of trust, and urges us to put our faith in trade unions, universities, bottom-up social campaigns, and bold political visions that thwart ideological pieties.

Driven by Rorty's sense of emergency about our collective future, What Can We Hope For? is filled with striking diagnoses of today's political crises and creative proposals for solving them.

Review Quotes

"If anyone deserves the mantle 'America's Orwell, ' it's Rorty, who combined political activism and sharp observation with a fierce intellectual independence that allowed him to criticize both left-wing and right-wing ambitions. . . . Exemplary political writing by a renowned maverick."-- "Kirkus Reviews, starred review"

"Thought-provoking. . . . Fiercely argued yet thoroughly empathetic, these political musings are littered with valuable insights and astute analysis."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"An invaluable collection."---Thomas Nagel, New Statesman

About the Author

Richard Rorty (1931-2007) was an eminent American pragmatist philosopher and public intellectual. Among his many books are Achieving Our Country, Philosophy and Social Hope, and Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (Princeton). W. P. Malecki is associate professor of literary theory at the University of Wroclaw, Poland. His books include Human Minds and Animal Stories. Chris Voparil teaches philosophy and political theory on the Graduate Faculty of Union Institute & University in Cincinnati, Ohio. His most recent book is Reconstructing Pragmatism: Richard Rorty and the Classical Pragmatists.