Racionalidade e socialização

: o fator ritual nas propostas filosóficas de Richard Rorty e Alasdair MacIntyre

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to tackle what can be called the Hegelian problem. With the dissolution of the great philosophical systems, one question has gained particular prominence in reflections on rationality. Is it possible to reconcile historicism and objectivity without a philosophy of history? In other words, is the awareness that human beings are always located in the historical 'here and now' compatible with the defence of universal and necessary knowledge? Answers have usually consisted of choosing one side. For example, Nietzsche, Kuhn and Feyerabend favour the former, compromising the possibility of objectivity. For this, they are accused of relativism and irrationalism. Carnap, Popper and Quine opted for the side of objectivity, jeopardising the historicity of thought and, as a result, seem to fall into scientism. Richard Rorty and Alasdair MacIntyre opt for the historicist side. However, they believe that this choice does not compromise them to the point of becoming relativists or irrationalists. Rorty solves the dilemma by replacing objectivity with solidarity and MacIntyre by assuming that it is possible to develop criteria for objective justification based on local contexts. This paper aims to analyse how Rorty’s and MacIntyre's solutions were developed and to assess their success. To do this, I will use what I call the ritual factor as a reading key. This, with its components of praxis, repetition and play, allows us to give rationality a different framework from the one provided by modernity, particularly by the Enlightenment. In my reading, Rorty and MacIntyre develop an embodied rationality, greatly influenced by Wittgenstein's thought. The ritual factor will allow us to understand the connection it has with the biological and sociological dimensions of humanity. It will therefore be possible to argue that rationality is both a third-person phenomenon (which can be studied observationally) and a second-person phenomenon (resulting from the relationships that exist in the communitarian we). This is the thesis I have developed from my research. Although they start from the same premises, Rorty and MacIntyre develop them differently, so their conclusions are basically antagonistic. Much of the interest of studying these two authors lies precisely in this fact, because their confrontation will enhance our understanding of various nuances of rationality.

Date of Award	3 Sept 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Manuel Gonçalves Sumares Júnior (Supervisor)