Rorty as Hayekian Classical Liberal?

Abstract

Richard Rorty's pragmatic liberalism seeks to combine individual freedom that encourages the flourishing of individualistic, Nietzschean "strong poets"with progressive, economically egalitarian social democracy. Critics, particularly on the Left, have questioned whether this combination is coherent and argue that Rorty's robust commitment to individual autonomy undermines his political progressivism. This article suggests that these critics are correct that Rorty's liberal theory contains a problematic tension and, further, that this tension could be ameliorated if Rorty had recognized the affinities his liberalism has with the pragmatic classical liberalism of FA Hayek. 2025