"The Death" of Epistemology: An Analysis of Richard Rorty's Philosophical Project

Abstract

An analysis of key theses regarding the crisis and "death" of traditional epistemology is conducted to trace the transformation and outline future paths for the development of contemporary epistemology. Rorty took on the complex task of covering the history of philosophy and all its modern currents, and as a proponent of pragmatism, he disagreed with the justification methods of traditional philosophical and postmodern "continental" concepts, which at times lacked rigor in presentation and argumentation, becoming overly engrossed in metaphysical questions. He criticized representationalism, foundationalism, and the very idea of philosophy as a "tribunal of reason." On the other hand, the thinker emphasized the context-dependence of knowledge and the relativity of truth, which is a product of linguistic practices and cultural context, i.e., considering knowledge not as a reflection of reality, but as a tool for solving specific social tasks. The study of social meanings through hermeneutics is justified, as it asserts the fundamental characteristic of humans in their ability to symbolize, aiding in the interpretation of the social world in an interactive manner. Rorty's project represents a consistent deconstruction of the main assumptions of modern European philosophy, shifting the focus from the search for truth to the practice of social communication, proposing a move toward hermeneutics. This approach opens up new research opportunities in the realm of social hermeneutics, particularly symbolic interactionism. It is concluded that knowledge is a system of beliefs where signs and meanings are formed during communication, and knowledge is possible only within the "logical space of causes," that is, within linguistic and social practices. The formation of knowledge and meanings occurs at the intersection of each participant's subjective experience in the interaction and the objective reality shaped by the external socio-cultural space. The task of contemporary epistemology becomes the creation of new meanings and common understandings that arise in the process of constant communication, which will contribute to social solidarity.