Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature: Thirtieth-Anniversary Edition (Princeton Classics Book 30)

When it first appeared in 1979, __Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature__ hit the philosophical world like a bombshell. In it, Richard Rorty argued that, beginning in the seventeenth century, philosophers developed an unhealthy obsession with the notion of representation: comparing the mind to a mirror that reflects reality. Rorty's book is a powerful critique of this imagery and the tradition of thought that it spawned. Today, the book remains a must-read and stands as a classic of twentieth-century philosophy. Its influence on the academy, both within philosophy and across a wide array of disciplines, continues unabated. This edition includes new essays by philosopher Michael Williams and literary scholar David Bromwich, as well as Rorty's previously unpublished essay "The Philosopher as Expert." Contents Introduction to the 2009 Edition Preface Introduction PART ONE. Our Glassy Essence CHAPTER I. The Invention of the Mind CHAPTER II. Persons Without Minds PART TWO: Mirroring CHAPTER III. The Idea of a "Theory of Knowledge" CHAPTER IV. Privileged Representations CHAPTER V. Epistemology and Empirical Psychology CHAPTER VI. Epistemology and Philosophy of Language PART THREE: Philosophy CHAPTER VII. From Epistemology to Hermeneutics CHAPTER VIII. Philosophy Without Mirrors The Philosopher as Expert Afterword: Remembering Richard Rorty Index Annotation When it first appeared in 1979, 'Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature' hit the philosophical world like a bombshell. In it, Richard Rorty argued that, beginning in the seventeenth century, philosophers developed an unhealthy obsession with the notion of representation: comparing the mind to a mirror that reflects reality. Rorty's book is a powerful critique of this imagery and the tradition of thought that it spawned When it first appeared in 1979, Richard Rorty argued that philosophers had developed an unhealthy obsession with the notion of representation: comparing the mind to a mirror that reflects reality. The book now stands as a classic of 20th-century philosophy 30 years ago Richard Rorty argued that philosophers had developed an unhealthy obsession with the notion of representation: comparing the mind to a mirror that reflects reality. The book now stands as a classic of 20th-century philosophy