Richard Rorty and the Idea of Political Hope

Reviews / Votes

'Inspiring as it is rigorous, Robert Lamb's Richard Rorty and the Idea of Political Hope is a timely work for the darkening present. At its core stands a revelatory account of the late, oft-maligned and misunderstood pragmatist thinker, from whom Lamb reconstructs a specifically political vision of hope as a crucially collaborative social disposition. In the process, Lamb carefully traverses an extraordinary range of topics, with bracing and insightful discussions of Hegel, Rawls, Marx, feminism, liberalism, realism, justice, social truth, optimism, pessimism, curiosity, progress, utopia, love, humility, cruelty, philosophy, literature, and so much more. A wonderful book.' Loren Goldman, University of Pennsylvania 'Robert Lamb's impressive book makes a powerful and original case for hope as a distinctively political attitude and for Richard Rorty as its indispensable interpreter, showing how his thought speaks eloquently to this timely topic. Lamb provides expert critical analysis of political theories of hope, arguing for an irreducibly political concept that stands opposed not only to despair but to optimism and faith. His novel and insightful interpretations of Rorty's texts generate illuminating critical conversations with a range of contemporary political thinkers. This is a major contribution to contemporary political theory, combining deep scholarship with an impassioned commitment to the importance of hope for a fragile social world.' Matthew Festenstein, University of York