Poli-Ethics of Constructivism: Kelly’s Liberalism Without Paternalism and Rorty’s Vision of Liberal Hope in the 21st Century

Abstract

George Kelly describes the personal construct system of psychotherapists as embodying liberalism without paternalism, though he offers little beyond its implications for psychotherapists. This paper revisits and expands the notion, situating it within Kelly’s psychological theory, constructivist philosophy, and its pragmatist roots, while engaging Richard Rorty’s vision of a liberal, pragmatic, and non-authoritarian ethos that emphasizes contingency, relationality, and solidarity. By tracing intersections between PCP and Rortian pragmatism, the paper proposes a framework for understanding liberalism as a personal and cultural project that privileges dialogue, pluralism, and imaginative engagement over fixed ideals. It argues that Rorty’s liberal hope provides a constructivist foundation for addressing ethical and political challenges, integrating social participation, anti-capitalist critique, and attentiveness to human suffering within progressive democratic practice.