Really insightful. By the way, the New York Times just created a philosophy blog with Simon Critchley from the New School as the moderator; in the first post he describes a philosopher. But I think Rorty's essay "The Philosopher as Expert" is much more on target and seems more interesting. It is reprinted in the thirtieth-anniversary edition of Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature.
THIS is what biographies should be about. The humanness, the, as nietzsche called it, Man-behind-the-scenes". These facts and snippets bring me closer to philosophers than any piece of writing they produce.
"moved from school to school" I relate to him so much!!!We moved a lot over seas I was very popular at my mostly asian international schools but arriving to the US was extremely difficult it coincided in escalating extreme criminal abuse from my 'father' then followed by my mother at 14 & 1/2, then add to this groomed by a criminal pedophile There was a brilliant freshman when I was a senior who's family later rescued me at nearing 19 for almost 7 years I will always treat them this relationship with utmost respect they treated me so well such a great family
It's amazing how exceptionally unpretentious he is... I mean, it's like, could such 'straight-talking' exist anywhere outside the U.S.? Yet, at the same time, one craves a little bit of a mask... why do we love the masks we see others fashion for themselves? Anyway, I really related to that statement about not being able to make small talk at parties =P @brokennarcissist And that is exactly why I ended up switching my major from Philosophy to English at Berkeley =P
Interesting, I had a very similar childhood and now as an adult I developed a very similar philosophy to Rorty's before ever having heard about him. I think the roots of this uncertainty, apart from a bit of genetic predispositions, may have something to do with the moving of schools, changing of enviroments where in each there's a different mutually believed truth, being a "new guy" every time without really settling in any collective... I don't know, I think more and more that behaviourism has a point.
@PavelSTL he can afford to be, he was already considered by then the greatest living philosopher....he could afford to say 'fuck you' to any validation of others
"shy, withdrawn, hoping to get away from school...being asocial...never made any friends...not easy in dealings with people...escaping others..scenes in nature, animals, birds..fantasies of power, control, omnipotence..acquiring intelectual power to get back at people..sense of mastery and control that you get out of philosophical ideas..need for domination" sounds like somebody read nietzsche's zarathustra straight into his life but missed some very important lines like "life is a well of joy"
@ssarkis1 of course you're right, but my point was purely philosophical i guess, and could perhaps be put in this way as well, that it seems as if rorty read only one side of zarathustra, and completely missed the other side, which in fact is the side which is harder to read, which is what nietzsche himself or zarathustra constantly repeats, saying how gravity, weight, seriousness are hard (or even impossible) to oppose, especially for a philosopher...rorty is just a big mess in this interview
Kind of revealing - it sounds like Rorty has universalized his own neurotic reasons for engaging with philosophy. Maybe that's why he has his masochistic hostility towards it.
Fantasies of power and control? O.O And looking to get back at people via intellectual power? And what he liked about his philosophy courses was that it gave a sense of domination... Wow. Is there no better way to dominate people than to undercut their sense of reality?
it takes a very intellectually mature and secure person to be honest like that.
This is one of the most interesting clips I've seen. Really intimate and real. Wonderful.
Thank you so much for posting this. Please post more!
Thanks for posting this! Please post more soon.
This is the most dark insight into a person I have seen, in over a week.
Really insightful. By the way, the New York Times just created a philosophy blog with Simon Critchley from the New School as the moderator; in the first post he describes a philosopher. But I think Rorty's essay "The Philosopher as Expert" is much more on target and seems more interesting. It is reprinted in the thirtieth-anniversary edition of Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature.
Interesting how greatness is born...
THIS is what biographies should be about. The humanness, the, as nietzsche called it, Man-behind-the-scenes". These facts and snippets bring me closer to philosophers than any piece of writing they produce.
Charming man!!
"moved from school to school" I relate to him so much!!!We moved a lot over seas I was very popular at my mostly asian international schools but arriving to the US was extremely difficult it coincided in escalating extreme criminal abuse from my 'father' then followed by my mother at 14 & 1/2, then add to this groomed by a criminal pedophile There was a brilliant freshman when I was a senior who's family later rescued me at nearing 19 for almost 7 years I will always treat them this relationship with utmost respect they treated me so well such a great family
It's amazing how exceptionally unpretentious he is...
I mean, it's like, could such 'straight-talking' exist anywhere outside the U.S.?
Yet, at the same time, one craves a little bit of a mask... why do we love the masks we see others fashion for themselves?
Anyway, I really related to that statement about not being able to make small talk at parties =P
@brokennarcissist And that is exactly why I ended up switching my major from Philosophy to English at Berkeley =P
Interesting, I had a very similar childhood and now as an adult I developed a very similar philosophy to Rorty's before ever having heard about him. I think the roots of this uncertainty, apart from a bit of genetic predispositions, may have something to do with the moving of schools, changing of enviroments where in each there's a different mutually believed truth, being a "new guy" every time without really settling in any collective... I don't know, I think more and more that behaviourism has a point.
@PavelSTL he can afford to be, he was already considered by then the greatest living philosopher....he could afford to say 'fuck you' to any validation of others
"shy, withdrawn, hoping to get away from school...being asocial...never made any friends...not easy in dealings with people...escaping others..scenes in nature, animals, birds..fantasies of power, control, omnipotence..acquiring intelectual power to get back at people..sense of mastery and control that you get out of philosophical ideas..need for domination"
sounds like somebody read nietzsche's zarathustra straight into his life but missed some very important lines like "life is a well of joy"
@ssarkis1 of course you're right, but my point was purely philosophical i guess, and could perhaps be put in this way as well, that it seems as if rorty read only one side of zarathustra, and completely missed the other side, which in fact is the side which is harder to read, which is what nietzsche himself or zarathustra constantly repeats, saying how gravity, weight, seriousness are hard (or even impossible) to oppose, especially for a philosopher...rorty is just a big mess in this interview
Kind of revealing - it sounds like Rorty has universalized his own neurotic reasons for engaging with philosophy. Maybe that's why he has his masochistic hostility towards it.
Is it just me or is this reporter particularly annoying and dense?
I mean Rorty handles him masterfully but come on..
@Quidtimeam The best revenge is a living a meaningful life.
That and a beaker of acid to the face, but he wasn't a science nerd, looks like.
Fantasies of power and control? O.O
And looking to get back at people via intellectual power? And what he liked about his philosophy courses was that it gave a sense of domination... Wow. Is there no better way to dominate people than to undercut their sense of reality?
I had a similar childhood, but I became a rabid anti-communist.
Not even similar.