Publication details
Taking Stories Seriously: Richard Rorty and Human Rights
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Argumentation 2017. International Conference on Alternative Methods of Argumentation in Law |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Law sciences |
| Keywords | Rorty; lidská práva; právní teorie; příběhy. |
| Attached files | |
| Description | This paper deals with the influence of stories on our approach to human rights. In this context, it analyses the philosophy of Richard Rorty whose name is associated with the most important attempt in this respect. This philosopher refuses to seek the foundation of human rights but instead emphasizes the development of the human rights culture. In his view, the way to develop this culture is hidden in sentimental education. It consists of telling sentimental stories to influence our approach to human rights. The paper summarizes the critique of this concept. The problem is that the success of sentimental education implies that people share the ability to feel pain and have a good degree of empathy. The meaning of norms is then that they are available in situations where our degree of empathy is insufficient or completely missing. It therefore appears that this concept can only work within a very narrow framework. For these and other reasons, Rorty is highly criticized in a philosophical context. The author of the paper, however, raises the question if such context is appropriate for understanding Rorty’s work. Rorty himself categorizes philosophy into systematic and edifying. Both have different goals, while the latter allows a more lenient assessment of his ideas. And it is this category that we should classify Rorty in. The final part of the paper is devoted to a general reflection on the role that stories can play in our human rights acceptance. Different forms of storytelling are undoubtedly an important part of our lives. However, it is not appropriate to absolutize them. They can be an interesting addition, but not the core of human rights theories. |
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