Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Raziyeh saber shekar ¹
• Atieh Zandieh ²

¹ Master of Philosophy and Islamic Wisdom, Shahid Motahari University

² Islamic philosophy Department, Shahid Motahari uni.

Abstract

Introduction
This research focusing on self-creation, a key element of Richard Rorty's playful belief system, also known as ironism. It explores how Self-Creation is manifested in the creation of texts. Following the Romantic tradition, Rorty aims to achieve human freedom by moving away from metaphysical ideas. He describes his philosophical stance as ironism, redefining the notions of truth, essence, and language to create his envisioned framework.
According to Rorty, truth is not a universal, timeless, or spaceless entity but is constructed through human interactions and expressed through language. In his view, language does not serve as a bridge between truth and humans but is the creator of truth itself, requiring the ability to persuade others. Rorty's ironism emphasizes Self-Creation, which he defines as the freedom to narrate any story we wish to tell.
Focusing on this aspect of ironism is crucial because it aims to achieve freedom by acknowledging human individuality. By altering their perspective on language and truth, a self-autonomous person can expand the boundaries of thought by creating new linguistic metaphors, thereby opening up new intellectual possibilities. When such an individual engages in text production, they must consider how the relationships between textual components can make the realization of freedom more achievable.
Can we hope for freedom if the text is structured according to the coherence and harmony favored by metaphysicians? Is it possible to advocate for freedom while undermining it through the text's organization and presentation based on metaphysical patterns? Or must the components of the text be arranged in a new relationship, thereby creating a new language game?
This new language game can establish a significant distance from previous ones, allowing new entities to emerge. This is the core of the ideal Rorty seeks in discussing individual freedom. The author believes that focusing on compositional qualities such as disharmony, diversity, and dispersion can more effectively achieve Rorty's concept of Self-Creation.
Among the works of Persian-speaking researchers, numerous articles and books explore Rorty and his ideas. However, the question of operationalizing Rorty's goals and his romantic ideal through text production has yet to be thoroughly examined. This gap is also evident in Rorty's works. Although he paid attention to the works of writers and novelists, he focused primarily on those who aimed to achieve freedom in the public sphere. Therefore, focusing on texts emphasizing the realization of self-creation and freedom on an individual level can significantly advance Richard Rorty's thought.
Methodology
This research employs analytical and descriptive methods to examine Rorty's ironism and self-creation. It then introduces ways to achieve self-creation in text production by focusing on compositional qualities aligned with ironism, contrasting the qualities favored by metaphysicians.
Finding
To further distance ourselves from metaphysical thoughts, which is the goal of Rorty's philosophy, it is essential to recognize the types of compositional qualities that organize texts. Metaphysicians favor two compositional qualities: coherence and harmony. These qualities require the components of a whole to be placed in a causal or obligatory relationship with each other, structuring the text accordingly. By eliminating ambiguity and disharmony, the text can transmit its message more quickly to the audience, and language can better fulfill its mediating role.
Given this context, applying alternative structural patterns such as disharmony, diversity, and dispersion—where the arrangement of components differs from what metaphysicians prefer—can facilitate the production of new thought forms. Introducing works by writers like Samuel Beckett and Peter Handke can provide a clearer understanding of this new path explored in this research. Examples of such works can also be found among Persian-speaking writers and the fifth generation of Iranian literature.
Discussion and Conclusion
Rorty, by emphasizing the tradition of Romanticism, aims to realize human freedom within the realm of philosophy. He considers freedom at both public and individual levels. On the individual level, the pursuit of Self-Creation is achieved through non-essentialist, anti-nature thoughts, and twentieth-century perspectives on language. Focusing on imagination allows the self-autonomous ironist to craft their desired narrative. By viewing language as contingent, Rorty demonstrates how it can be used to construct new realities, enabling individuals to realize their freedom.
If freedom is pursued through the creation of works with new compositional qualities that oppose the metaphysicians' preferred qualities of coherence and harmony, it will seem more attainable. By generating new linguistic metaphors, new terms will gradually emerge, creating a new intellectual space and facilitating the possibility of moving towards new forms of living.

Keywords

• Rorty
• Ironism
• metaphysics
• Self-creation
• Composition