In the first of a three-part series on Richard Rorty’s Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity (1989), Let Us Think About It delves into the concept of contingency.

Host Ryder Richards guides listeners through Rorty’s radical argument that language, selfhood, and liberal communities are not grounded in universal truths but are crafted through historical chance, like tools in a dynamic toolkit.

Drawing on Chapter 1, Ryder explores how language, far from mirroring reality, builds truths through evolving vocabularies, with examples like the French Revolution and Donald Davidson’s “passing theories.”
Chapter 2 reveals the self as a contingent construction, sculpted through redescriptions, as seen in Freud and Proust.
Chapter 3 examines liberal societies as experimental creations, sustained by imaginative solidarity rather than fixed foundations, referencing Isaiah Berlin and Judith Shklar.

While admiring Rorty’s vivid metaphors and provocative ideas, Ryder critiques his potentially reductive view, questioning whether freedom alone can ensure moral progress. Packed with direct quotes and punchy insights, this episode sets the stage for upcoming discussions on irony and solidarity. Tune in to rethink how we create our world with the tools of language!