Abstract:

Richard Rotty, an outstanding figure of contemporary Western neo-pragmatism, establishes his philosophy upon his absolutely radical understanding of "contingencies, "i.e. the contingency of language, of self and of liberal society.Since it is these contingencies rather than any law that constitute our material and mental world, any objective knowledge on essence or truth will be impossible.By deconstructing traditional epistemology in such a revolutionary way, Rotty claims that the criterion of truth lies in our beliefs and wishes, and the real momentum of history in our imagination.Rotty's neo-pragmatism and traditional epistemology may complement each other, because the former overstimates contingency, whereas the latter stresses necessity too much.In a sense, Rotty's philosophy, which emphasizes contingency, practice and future, is far more significant for us than a common understanding of truth.

Key words: Richard Rotty, neo-pragmatism, contingency, anti-epistemologism