%0 Journal Article
%T Reconsidering Richard Rorty¡¯s Private-Public Distinction
%A Lior Erez
%J Humanities
%D 2013
%I MDPI AG
%R 10.3390/h2020193
%X This article provides a new interpretation of Richard Rorty¡¯s notion of the private-public distinction. The first section of the article provides a short theoretical overview of the origins of the public-private distinction in Rorty¡¯s political thought and clarifies the Rortian terminology. The main portion of the article is dedicated to the critique of Rorty¡¯s private-public distinction, divided into two thematic sections: (i) the private-public distinction as undesirable and (ii) the private-public distinction as unattainable. I argue that Rorty¡¯s formulation provides plausible answers to the first kind of criticism, but not to the second. Finally, a reformulation of the private-public distinction will be suggested, which both mitigates the second line of criticism and better coheres with Rorty¡¯s general theory.
%K Rorty
%K Richard
%K pragmatism and neo-pragmatism
%K public-private distinction
%K liberalism
%U http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/2/2/193