Episode 157: Richard Rorty on Politics for the Left (Part Two)
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
Mark Linsenmayer
4.6 • 2.3K Ratings
🗓️ 6 February 2017
⏱️ 64 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Continuing on Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in 20th Century America (1998). We talk more about Rorty's description of the conflict between the "reformist left" and the "cultural left." Do political-comedy shows serve a a positive political purpose? Can an enlightened political viewpoint really be a mass movement at all? Is it better to pursue specific political campaigns or be part of a "movement?" Can Rorty's diagnosis cure Seth's malaise?
Listen to part 1 first, though you should probably just get the ad-free, unbroken Citizen Edition.
End song: "Wake Up, Sleepyhead," by Jill Sobule, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #11.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Partially exam in life relies on your support. |
| 0:02.1 | To find out how to help, |
| 0:03.3 | in ways that are cheap or even free for you, |
| 0:05.4 | check out partiallyexaminedlife.com slash support. |
| 0:16.0 | You're listening to Partially Examined Life. |
| 0:18.1 | Episode 157 part two on Richard Rorities achieving our country |
| 0:22.2 | left a thought in 20th century America. |
| 0:24.5 | So last time we talked about having an left that is politically engaged as opposed to one that is |
| 0:29.8 | merely critical and what that involves. |
| 0:32.4 | And so I've stated my problematic with the argument that I feel like we need to address |
| 0:37.9 | as we go through the specifics in the air. |
| 0:39.3 | But we haven't heard much from you, Seth. |
| 0:40.7 | Why don't you tell us about your reaction to this book and what do you think? |
| 0:44.5 | Yeah, I mean, you know, I didn't read this book. |
| 0:47.8 | I didn't read it like a like a philosophy text where I took a lot of notes. |
| 0:52.6 | I read it and it forced me into introspection and then simultaneously felt like an articulation of like, |
| 0:59.5 | oh, that's why it. |
| 1:00.9 | Oh, okay, now I understand. |
| 1:02.8 | That's why. |
| 1:03.6 | Yeah, that's it. |
| 1:04.7 | And I still am horrified by the idea that my participation in that other podcast is going to be |
| 1:12.3 | broadcast to the public, the one where we were ostensibly talking about the relationship between |
... |
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