The metaphysician . . . does not question the platitudes which encapsulate the use of a given vocabulary, and in particular the platitude which says there is a single permanent reality to be found behind the many temporary appearances . . . . The ironist, by contrast . . . thinks that nothing has an intrinsic nature, a real essence.
Richard Rorty, CONTINGENCY, IRONY, AND SOLIDARITY
. . . it is important to insist that a sense of shared national identity is not an evil. It is an absolutely essential component of citizenship . . . .
—Richard Rorty, THE UNPATRIOTIC ACADEMY
Richard (...)

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