Beyond Realism and Anti-Realism: Rorty on Heidegger and Davidson

Abstract

IN HIS ATTEMPT TO REDIRECT PHILOSOPHY, RORTY RECRUITS SOME ALLIES TO HIS CAUSE. THE PRESENT PAPER CONTAINS A CRITICAL DISCUSSION OF HIS ATTEMPT TO INTERPRET HEIDEGGER AND DAVIDSON AS HOLDING AN "ABOVE BATTLE" POSITION IN THE REALISM/ANTI-REALISM CONTROVERSY. ALTHOUGH NEITHER HEIDEGGER NOR DAVIDSON FIT INTO THE REGULAR MOLD OF EITHER POSITION, NEITHER DOES RORTY'S NIETZSCHEAN PORTRAIT OF HEIDEGGER NOR HIS PRAGMATIST ONE OF DAVIDSON DO JUSTICE TO THOSE TWO PHILOSOPHERS BUT, RATHER, BETRAY THE "TEXTUALIST'S" HAND.