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11 - Rorty on Religion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 April 2021

David Rondel
Affiliation:
University of Nevada, Reno
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Summary

When it comes to religion, Richard Rorty thinks belief is a matter of “cultural politics,” that is, instead of trying to find some rational basis for religion, we should ask whether religious beliefs and practices are conducive to human flourishing or not. It is up to particular communities to make their case that their religion facilitates social and political goals. That is a matter of cultural politics, as opposed to philosophizing on ontological questions about what supernatural entities, if any, exist. Having relaxed evidentialist restrictions against religious beliefs, Rorty insists that religious beliefs are best when they are private and subjective. Religion is like poetry, which can be intensely meaningful for individuals’ lives, and it should be assessed as such. Indeed, he endorses a spirituality of sorts, along these lines. But when religious beliefs are brought into public discourse to support or oppose a policy or a law, they stop conversation short. Ultimately, Rorty acknowledges we shouldn’t prohibit such appeals to religion, but we should discourage and oppose them when they support oppression and inequality.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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