Published : 2024-12-30

Liberal Utopia and the Mirror of Religion

Abstract

Richard Rorty was a staunchly secular intellectual, an atheist who also embraced anticlericalism. Nevertheless, it is my contention that in his vision of liberal utopia some affinities with religion can be detected. In the present article I start by reconstructing the reasons behind Rorty’s critical evaluation of religion’s role in liberal democracy. I stress that those reasons are rooted in the American philosopher’s specific understanding of antiauthoritarianism. Then I move on to the connections between the project of liberal utopia developed by Rorty and religion, especially with Christian religious tradition. I argue that his liberal utopia is something akin to civil religion. Hence, it does not seem like a mere accident that hope emerges as one of the main themes in the last period of American neopragmatists’ creative output.

Keywords:

hope, religion, Rorty Richard, utopia



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Roczniki Filozoficzne · ISSN 0035-7685 | eISSN 2450-002X
© Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL & Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II

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