After Richard Rorty subjected Western modern philosophy to a groundbreaking critique in the late 1970s, he immediately positioned himself at the forefront of an intellectual movement that has become enormously influential outside of philosophy under the label of Neopragmatism. Over the decades, Rorty continuously expanded and refined his version of pragmatism, notably in legendary lectures at the University of Girona. These lectures form the core of this book, which offers nothing less than the final version of Rorty's late philosophy.

At its center is the concept of anti-authoritarianism, which Rorty identifies as the main impulse of his thinking. There is no authority that dictates what is true and right. There are only us and our opinions, ideas, and traditions. Good ideas are recognized by their contribution to the well-being of all. And to determine what this well-being consists of, one must engage with what others think and want, and be willing to revise one's own views. The anti-authoritarianism, as Rorty understands it, begins with the individual. Its currency is trust, its medium is conversation, and its goal is emancipation. This is the political message of pragmatism as anti-authoritarianism.