Patočka and Rorty – The Problem of Freedom
Abstract
Patočka´s and Rorty´s philosophy offer a foundation for the reconstruction of liberalism and a possibility of fulfilling individual´s freedom. Patočka intends to assess the value of transcendence and its relevance to life. He tries to save the metaphysics for it does not need to become necessarily dogmatic. Contemporary people may find Patočka´s reflections on freedom beneficial. Patočka invites people to connect their spirituality with skepticism and modesty, and according to Socratic knowing of unknowing, along with humility which makes man non-dogmatically open to transcendence. In the reflections on man, Rorty holds to moral responsibility and tries to bring man to self-awareness and taking responsibility for his acting, because it is only man who disposes of unique possibilities and abilities to shape his own authentic way of life. Rorty´s concept of freedom as an accidental phenomenon is based on the concept of history of Western philosophy and is closely linked with the problem of metaphysics and truth. Despite timeless reflections of both philosophers, any timeless ideal of human freedom is determined by the context in which we are thinking.
Keywords
Rorty; Patočka; freedom; metaphysics; contingency; post-metaphysical culture
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University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik in Košice Faculty of Arts Department of philosophy and history of philosophy Slovakia
My influences in philosophy are based on postmodern philosophy with connection to the critique of traditional metaphysics. My work is related to pragmatic tradition in the issues of current post-metaphysical situation. I am interested in the problem of what could replace metaphysics and whether it is possible at all. Last but not least I work on the themes involving Patočka´s philosophy (specifically his asubjective phenomenology). My main scientific interest is the situation of the end of metaphysics and its influence on present philosophy. My dissertation thesis was titled Rorty, Heidegger and metaphysics and it was published in 2014 as a monography. My main publications are as follow: „Rorty, Heidegger and Plato“ – Heidegger and Greek Philosophy, Košice 2013. „Rorty and Historiography of Philosophy“ – History of Philosophy as a philosophical problem, Košice 2010. „Post-eleatics philosophical physics“ – Patočka and the Greek Philosophy, Košice 2013. „Bacon´s Philosophy and the Rise of Modern Philosophy“ – Patočka and the modern philosophy, Košice 2014.
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