Richard Rorty and Machado de Assis: Two Different Ways of Coping with Ironism

Abstract

A comparison is made between Rortyan Ironism and Machadean Ironism. It is argued that the former does not cohere with the non-reductive physicalist model which is also defended by Rorty, and is inadequately used in the debate with contemporary thinkers such as Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Habermas, Foucault and Derrida. Machadean Ironism is also expounded. It is argued that Machado de Assis offers a life view which connects skepticism with some form of aesthetism, yielding an ironist approach which is consistent throughout and fully aware of its theoretical and practical consequences. It is also shown that Machadean Ironism has its own problems, which concern mainly the philosopher’s attitude in face of life. But this does not affect the goal of the present paper, which is to offer the Machadean view as a valid alternative to Rortyan Ironism. The latter is evaluated as the result of a misleading metaphysical perplexity belonging to the skeptical strain which infects Rorty’s philosophy and should be dropped without more ado, in order to preserve the remainder of his philosophy.