Introduction: Learning from Rorty's Reconstructed Pragmatism Chapter 1: Rorty and Peirce: Pragmatism, Realism, and the Practice of Inquiry Chapter 2: Rorty and James: The Ethics and Epistemology of Belief Chapter 3: Rorty and Dewey: Pragmatist Philosophy as Cultural Criticism Chapter 4: Rorty and Royce: The Cultural Politics of Community, Loyalty, and Difference Chapter 5: Rorty and Addams: Pragmatist Social Ethics and Undemocratic Relations Conclusion: Post-Rortyan Pragmatism

"Voparil has a positively intimidating mastery of Rorty's work and of the voluminous secondary literature on it, and I dissent from his fascinating reconstruction of Rorty with great trepidation. I am far more certain, however, that Rorty scholars and students of the pragmatist tradition alike will learn much from Voparil's Reconstructing Pragmatism" -- William M Curtis, Department of Political Science and Global Affairs, University of Portland, USA, Metaphilosophy "Readers will learn about Rorty's work and about pragmatism and its potential to address the challenges of democratic society. Voparil's focus on pragmatism's commitment to socially just community sidelines an important aspect of Rorty's thought: his provocative endorsement of ironic, Nietzschean self--creation enabled by liberal freedom. Nevertheless, Voparil's book is a tour de force that accomplishes its goal of demonstrating the importance of Rorty and pragmatism." -- W. M. Curtis, University of Portland, CHOICE "By expertly reconstructing Rorty's relationships to five key classical pragmatists, Voparil's fine book provides valuable materials for redirecting pragmatism beyond fruitless polemics about the classical/neopragmatist divide to pursue a more useful agenda of philosophical inquiry." -- Richard Shusterman, Dorothy F. Schmidt Eminent Scholar in the Humanities, Florida Atlantic University "Richard Rorty renewed themes in James and Dewey, developing them with great sensitivity. This sympathetic study awards him his rightful place as one of the architects of contemporary pragmatism." -- Philip Kitcher, John Dewey Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Columbia University "This is a smart, well-written book that offers a wealth of fresh insights about Rorty's pragmatism and its relationship to classical pragmatists. Voparil is even-handed and inspiring as he reconstructs Rorty's relationship not only to Dewey, but also to Peirce, James, Addams, and Royce. Refusing both the demonization and the glorification of Rorty's work, Reconstructing Pragmatism demonstrates how the future of contemporary pragmatism can benefit from rather than merely avoid or criticize Rorty's philosophy." -- Shannon Sullivan, Chair and Professor of Philosophy, University of North Carolina "A philosopher can hardly ask for anything more than a careful and sympathetic reader...Rorty at last has a careful and sympathetic reader in Voparil,...Those partial to the classical pragmatists and who regard Rorty as an enfant terrible will be well advised to read Voparil's book." -- Richard Kenneth Atkins, Journal of the History of Philosophy, Volume 61.3

Chris Voparil is on the Graduate Faculty of Union Institute & University, where he teaches philosophy and political theory. He is author of Richard Rorty: Politics and Vision (Rowman & Littlefield, 2006) and co-editor of Pragmatism and Justice (Oxford University Press, 2017) and several collections of Rorty's work, including What Can We Hope For? Essays on Politics (Princeton University Press, 2022), On Philosophers and Philosophy: Unpublished Papers, 1960-2000 (Cambridge University Press, 2020), and The Rorty Reader (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010), in addition to articles on pragmatism.

Selling point: Offers the first comprehensive scholarly treatment of Richard Rorty's relation to classical pragmatism Selling point: Draws from the full scope of Rorty's writings, including archival sources, to establish the influence on his development not only of Peirce, James, and Dewey, but Royce and Addams Selling point: Critically evaluates and defends Rorty's interpretation of pragmatism against his critics and highlights his ongoing relevance for contemporary debates