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Philosophers get attention only when they appear to be doing something sinister—corrupting the youth, undermining the foundations of civilization, sneering at all we hold dear. The rest of the time everybody assumes that they are hard at work somewhere down in the sub-basement, keeping those foundations in good repair. Nobody much cares what brand of intellectual duct tape is being used.

— Richard Rorty

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More quotes by Richard Rorty

To abjure the notion of the "truly human" is to abjure the attempt to divinize the self as a replacement for a divinized world.

Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity (1989)

The usual picture of Socrates is of an ugly little plebeian who inspired a handsome young nobleman to write long dialogues on large topics.

Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity (1989)

National pride is to countries what self-respect is to individuals: a necessary condition for self-improvement.

Philosophy makes progress not by becoming more rigorous but by becoming more imaginative.

There is nothing deep down inside us except what we have put there ourselves.

Consequences of Pragmatism (1982)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Richard Rorty (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.