Abstract

The chapter reconstructs Rorty’s dismissal of realist positions in epistemology and semantics, his reframing of the realist claim that the world is determinate, material, and independent from our thoughts and descriptions, his position regarding scientific realismrealism, and the comforting role that truth and realism play in metaphysical realism. Further, the chapter addresses the open question of whether Rorty had a realist turn toward the end of his career.