Leigland, S. (1999).
Pragmatism, science, and society: A review of Richard Rorty's Objectivity, Relativism, and Truth: Philosophical Papers, Volume 1.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
71, 483-500.
Richard Rorty's Objectivity, Relativism, and Truth:
Philosophical Papers, Volume 1 is a collection of papers that
explores the implications of philosophical pragmatism in several
areas, including natural science, mindbody issues in
philosophy, and perspectives on liberal democracy and social
change. Similarities between Rorty's pragmatism and Skinner's
radical behaviorism are explored in each of these three areas.
Although some important and interesting differences are found
regarding the role of science in social change, most areas show
remarkable similarities between the two systematic perspectives.
Key words: radical behaviorism, pragmatism, philosophy, science