Rorty’s Utopia As The Expression Of The Connection Between Religion And Politics

ABSTRACT

Richard Rorty has maintained a critical attitude towards traditional religion throughout many of his writings. Indeed, he has also shown his opposition to religion having a place in the public square, which as a matter of fact imposes an anti-religious conception of life. His views on such matter try to stress that religious discourse and morality reduce the possibilities of personal development allowed by liberty. However, despite his critical views, he not only asumes in his political and philosophical analysis connections with basic elements of religious tradition, but also his utopian view has, in the end, a significant religious background, linked to those utopian-religious aspirations of the Americn foundational utopia. That is why we can understand his patriotism -and his defence of the United States- as having religious affinity, where the country is the primary reference for utopian aspirations.

Key Words: Rorty, Religion, Morality, Religious Speech

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RESUMEN

Richard Rorty ha mantenido uma actitud crítica hacia la religión tradicional a lo largo de muchos de sus escritos. También ha mostrado su oposición a que la religión tenga un lugar en la esfera pública, lo que como cuestión de hecho trae consigo imponer una concepción antirreligiosa de la vida. Sus puntos de vista sobre dicha cuestión tratan de acentuar que la moralidad y el discurso religiosos reducen las posibilidades del desarrollo personal que la libertad política permite. Sin embargo, a pesar de su visión crítica, Rorty no solamente asume en su análisis político y filosófico conexiones com elementos básicos de la tradición religiosa, sino que también su visión utópica tiene, al fin, un trasfondo religioso significativo, ligado a las aspiraciones religioso-utópicas de la utopía fundacional americana. Es por eso por lo que podemos entender su patriotismo –y su defensa de los Estados Unidos- como teniendo afinidad religiosa, donde su país es la referencia primaria para las aspiraciones utópicas.

Palabras clave: Rorty, religión, moralidad, discurso religioso.  

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