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Pragmatist Philosophy and Action Research

Readings and Conversation with Richard Rorty

Centre for Action Research, University of Bath, UK, mnspwr{at}management.bath.ac.uk

Richard Rorty's distinct brand of positivism is explored in relation to action research. Rorty's opposition toward the dualisms which haunt western philosophy is briefly described, his nonfoundationalist, anti-metaphysical pragmatics and his views on the contingency of the language that we use outlined. Since we can neither appeal to universal reason nor to an external reality as foundations for our claims, argument must move through a process of redescription. It is argued that just as Rorty is redescribing philosophy, so action researchers are redescribing inquiry. Rorty's ideas are compared with five basic characteristics of action research: practical knowing, democracy and participation; ways of knowing; human and ecological flourishing; and emergent form. Finally, Rorty's notion of the ironist is compared with the action researchers as reflective practitioner. The stimulating quality of Rorty's thought suggests that action researchers must find new language to describe their work, rather than be caught in the old academic metaphors of research.

Key Words: action research • pragmatic philosophy • redescription • Richard Rorty

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