Guide to the Richard Rorty Papers MS.C.017

Series 1. Early life and family papers, Bulk, 1942-1979 1863-2000

Physical Description: 2.4 Linear feet

Historical Background

Richard Rorty was the son of Winifred Raushenbush Rorty (1894-1979) and James Rorty (1890-1973), both writers and activists on the left. When Richard was born in 1931 they lived in New York City, but they moved to Flatbrookville, New Jersey, when he was a child. He was close to his parents and many of the members of his extended family, including his fathers' sisters, writers Eva Beard and Marion Bullard, both of Woodstock, New York.

At age 15, he began attending the University of Chicago, where he earned his BA (1949) and MA (1952). From there, he entered Yale where he earned his Ph.D.(1956) with the dissertation, "The Concept of Potentiality." He served in the military from 1957-1958.

He married fellow philosophy graduate student Amélie Oksenberg, the daughter of Klara and Israel Oksenberg, in 1954. Their son, James (Jay), was born in 1961, and the couple divorced in 1972. A short time later, Richard married Mary Varney, who had earned her Ph.D. in philosophy from Johns Hopkins in 1970, and the couple had two children, Patricia and Kevin. When he died of pancreatic cancer at age 75, Richard Rorty was survived by his wife and children.

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series includes writings and academic work by Richard Rorty from early childhood through his graduate work; correspondence with his parents, relatives and others; and the papers of some members of his extended family. Subseries 1.1 includes issues of the Minisink Valley News, a newsletter Rorty edited as a child; academic work including drafts and notes for his Ph.D. dissertation "The Concept of Potentiality;" and other papers and correspondence dating to the period previous to the start of his professional life as an academic. Subseries 1.2 consists of the letters to and from his parents, James Rorty and Winifred Raushenbush Rorty. Subseries 1.3 includes family papers: correspondence, records, and writings he received and collected. This subseries includes materials collected by Rorty that relate to, or were created by, members of his immediate and extended family. Included is a large amount of correspondence between Rorty and family members, but there is also a significant amount of other material created and collected by members of his family, most notably his father, James Rorty.

Series Arrangement

This series is arranged in 3 subseries:

Subseries 1. Early writings and other materials
Subseries 2. Correspondence with parents
Subseries 3. Family papers

Within each subseries, files are arranged alphabetically.

Processing Note

In order to expedite access to the collection, this series were minimally processed. Dates are approximate, folders have wide and overlapping date ranges, and materials are not arranged in any order within folders. Some undated manuscripts were included in this series under the assumption they were written before the start of Rorty's professional career.

Subseries 1.1. Early writings and other materials, Bulk, 1942-1956 1939-1983

Box 1, Folder 1

Academic notes on various subjects, undated

Box 1, Folder 2

Biology papers and notes, 1946-1948 and undated

Box 1, Folder 3

"The Concept of Potentiality" and other Ph.D. work: notes and drafts, circa 1953-1956

Box 1, Folder 4-5

"The Concept of Potentiality:" notes and chapter drafts, circa 1954-1956

Box 1, Folder 6-7

Correspondence from various senders, Bulk, 1950-1954 1946-1983 and undated

Box 2, Folder 1

Employment applications: correspondence, 1948-1952

Box 2, Folder 2

Graduate study in Paris: application materials and correspondence, 1951

Box 2, Folder 3

Graduate study and fellowships: correspondence, applications, and other materials, 1949-1953 and undated

Box 2, Folder 4

"Is it Desirable That Every Educated Man Acquire Some Historical Knowledge of the Rise of Industrial Civilization?": paper, undated

Box 2, Folder 5

Mathematics notes, examinations, and other material, 1949-1950

Box 2, Folder 6

Military service: commendations, correspondence, and other materials, 1951-1958

Box 2, Folder 7-9

Minisink Valley News: issues and other materials, 1942-1944

Box 3, Folder 1

Notes and drawings, 1936-1946 and undated

Box 3, Folder 2

Passports and other personal records, 1941-1993

Box 3, Folder 3

Philosophy and Greek (M.A. and Ph.D. study): exams, syllabi, and other materials, 1949-1954 and undated

Box 3, Folder 4

Poems and other creative writings, undated

Box 3, Folder 5

Primary school: writings and other materials, 1939-1944 and undated

Box 3, Folder 6

Secondary education: yearbook, correspondence, and other materials, 1945-1948

Box 3, Folder 7

"Truth and Its Object in Anselm, Aquinas, and Matthew of Aquasparta:" paper, undated

Box 3, Folder 8

University of Chicago: correspondence, grade reports, and other materials, 1946-1952 and undated

Subseries 1.2. Correspondence with parents, 1940-1979

Box 3, Folder 9-10

Rorty, James and Winifred (Raushenbush): letters and cards to them, 1943-1979 and undated

Box 4, Folder 1-3

Rorty, James: letters and cards from him, 1940-1962 and undated

Box 4, Folder 4-6

Rorty, Winifred (Raushenbush): letters and cards from her, 1941-1979 and undated

Subseries 1.3. Family papers, Bulk, 1918-1979 1863-2000

Processing Note

During processing, correspondence in this series was grouped according to the family member to which it pertains as the sender, recipent, or (occasionally) the subject of the letters. Correspondence between Richard Rorty and any member of his family was filed under the family member's name.

Box 4, Folder 7

Beard, Eva and Marion Bullard: correspondence and other materials, 1941-1953 and undated

Scope and Content Summary

Includes mainly letters to Richard Rorty from his aunt, Eva Beard, and some of her writings.

Box 5, Folder 1

Bullard, Marion: poems, clippings, and other materials, 1955-1971 and undated

Box 5, Folder 2

Disposition of parents' papers: correspondence, 1981-1982 and undated

Box 5, Folder 3

Lewis, L.R. (Leo Rich): early writings and obituary, 1886, 1945

Biographical Note

L.R. Lewis was a professor at Tufts University, from which James Rorty graduated in 1913.

Box 5, Folder 4

Marriage notices, birth announcements and congratulations: cards and telegrams, 1954-1961 and undated

Box 5, Folder 5

Oksenberg, Klara and Israel: correspondence 1953-1976 and undated

Box 5, Folder 6

Poems and other writings, unsigned, undated

Box 5, Folder 7

Richardson, Mabel L.: legal correspondence 1971-1974

Box 5, Folder 8

Rorty, Amélie Oksenberg: correspondence and other materials, 1950-1971 and undated

Box 5, Folder 9-10

Rorty, James: correspondence, writings, and other materials, 1913-1962 and undated

Box 5, Folder 11

Rorty, James: letters to L.R. (Leo Rich) Lewis, 1913-1940

Scope and Contents

Includes letters written while serving in the military during World War I.

Box 6, Folder 1

Rorty, James: letters to H.L. Mencken, 1939

Box 6, Folder 2

Rorty, James: World War I correspondence and other materials, 1918-1919

Box 6, Folder 3

Rorty, Jay and Patricia: writings for them by family members, and other materials, 1961-1996 and undated

Box 6, Folder 4

Rorty, Malcolm C.: writings and other materials, 1928-1934 and undated

Historical Background

Malcolm C. Rorty, the brother of James Rorty, was a statistitian and held executive positions at AT&T and ITT.

Box 6, Folder 5

Rorty, Mary Varney: correspondence and other materials, 1974-1977 and undated

Box 6, Folder 6

Rorty and Rauschenbusch families: clippings, correspondence, and other materials, 1863-1985

Historical Background

Winifred Rorty changed the spelling of her maiden name (which she used professionally) from Rauschenbusch to Raushenbush.

Box 6, Folder 7

Rorty, Winifred (Raushenbush): writings, clippings, correspondence, and other materials, 1918-1979

Box 6, Folder 8

Rorty, Winifred (Raushenbush): biography of her and related correspondence, 2000

Series 2. Writings, 1961-2000 and undated

Physical Description: 3.4 Linear feet

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series primarily includes drafts (manuscripts, typescripts, computer print-outs, and proofs) of writings: scholarly and magazine articles, book chapters, papers, book reviews, contributions to reference volumes, speeches, and invited talks. Included are some of Rorty's writings in translation and his prefaces and introductions to volumes of such writings. In some cases drafts are accompanied by related notes or correspondence. Some proofs include corrections. Also included in this series are some writings in their final printed form: offprints, clippings, journal issues, newspaper and magazine issues. This series also includes one audio recording of an invited talk.

Arrangement

This series is arranged in 2 subseries:

Subseries 2.1. Manuscripts
Subseries 2.2. Printed material and audio recording

Subseries 2.1. Manuscripts, 1961-2000 and undated

Subseries Arrangement

This subseries is arranged in the following order:

1. Articles, book chapters, and other writings: arranged alphabetically by the title of the work.
2. Book reviews: arranged alphabetically by the last name of the author reviewed.
3. Conference papers and public lectures: arranged alphabetically, primarily by the name of the conference or sponsoring institution.

Processing Information

During processing, manuscripts were generally filed by working title, so different versions of the same finished work may be filed in separate folders. In general, titled manuscripts were filed under "Articles, book chapters, and other writings." Untitled conference papers and papers found among other conference materials, along with public speeches and remarks, were filed under "Conference papers and other public lectures." These were filed according to the relevant conference, event, or sponsoring institution.

Articles, book chapters, and other writings

Box 7, Folder 1

"An Anti-Representationalist View: Comments on Miller, Van Fraassen, and Churchland:" draft, 1990

Box 7, Folder 2

"Aristotle," article for the American People's Encyclopedia: drafts and correspondence, 1964

Box 7, Folder 3

"Cartesian Epistemology and Changes in Ontology:" draft, undated

Box 11, Folder 12

"Changing World-Views and Scholastic Quibbles: An Answer to the Question 'What is Philosophy?:'" typed draft, circa 1997

Box 7, Folder 4

"Consciousness, Intentionality, and Pragmatism:" draft and correspondence, 1990

Box 7, Folder 5

Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity, preface to the Russian translation: draft and correspondence, 1995

Scope and Contents note

Includes correspondence and publications related to the Belgrade Circle.

Box 7, Folder 7

"The Contingency of Our Language:" draft, undated

Box 7, Folder 8

"The Continuity Between the Enlightenment and 'Postmodernism'" and German translation: drafts and notes, undated

Box 7, Folder 9

"The Current State of Philosophy in the U.S.:" draft, 1994

Box 7, Folder 10

"Davidson's Mental-Physical Distinction:" proof with notes, circa 1999

Box 7, Folder 11

"Deconstruction," article for the Cambridge History of Literary Criticism: edited proof and correspondence, 1994

Box 7, Folder 12

"Derrida on Language, Being, and Abnormal Philosophy:" draft and correspondence, 1977

Box 7, Folder 13

"Does Academic Freedom Have Philosophical Presuppositions?" German translation: proof and correspondence, 1994

Box 7, Folder 14

"Duties to Self and Others: Comments on Nehamas:" drafts and other materials, 1995 and undated

Scope and Contents note

Includes "Response to Nehamas," draft, and Alexander Nehamas's paper, "What Should We Expect From Reading? (There are Only Aesthetic Values)" draft.

Box 7, Folder 15

"Education, Socialization, and Individuation: Replies to Commentators:" draft and correspondence, 1989

Scope and Contents note

"Education, Socialization, and Individuation" is a reprint of "Education Without Dogma."

Box 7, Folder 16

"Empiricism, Extensionalism, and Reductionism:" drafts, notes, and reviewers' copies, circa 1963

Box 7, Folder 17

"Existential Necessity and Kantian Unconditionality: A Response to Harald Kohl:" draft, 2000

Box 7, Folder 18

"Failed Prophecies, Glorious Hopes:" proof with corrections, 1999

Box 7, Folder 19

"Fraternity:" draft and correspondence, 1996

Box 8, Folder 1

"Freedom as Higher Than Being:" draft, undated

Box 8, Folder 2

"Half a Million Blue Helmets?" draft, offprint, and correspondence, 1995-1996

Box 8, Folder 3

"Heidegger Against the Pragmatists:" draft, undated

Box 8, Folder 4

"Heidegger's Litany:" draft undated

Scope and Contents note

Published as chapter 5 of Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity.

Box 8, Folder 5

"Hoffnung statt Erkenntnis:" drafts and correspondence, 1994

Scope and Contents note

Consists of three lectures delivered in Vienna and Paris. Later published in English as chapters 2-4 of Philosophy and Social Hope.

Box 8, Folder 6

"Holism, Intentionality, and the Ambition of Transcendence:" drafts, notes, and reviewers' copies, circa 1992-1993

Box 8, Folder 7

"How Relevant is 'Postmodern' Philosophy to Politics?" draft, 1998

Box 8, Folder 8

"The Incommunicability of 'Felt Qualities':" drafts, undated

Box 8, Folder 9

"In Defense of Eliminative Materialism:" draft and correspondence, 1969

Box 8, Folder 10

"The Inspirational Value of Great Works of Literature:" drafts and correspondence, 1996

Box 8, Folder 11

"Intellectual Historians and Pragmatist Philosophy:" corrected draft and correspondence, 2000

Box 8, Folder 12

"The Intellectuals and the Poor:" draft, 1996

Box 8, Folder 13

"Intuition:" drafts and notes, undated

Box 8, Folder 14

"Is 'Cultural Recognition' a Useful Concept for Leftist Politics?" draft, 1999

Box 8, Folder 15

"Is Derrida a Transcendental Philosopher?" draft, 1989

Box 8, Folder 16

"Justice as a Larger Loyalty" and French translation: drafts, correspondence, and photocopy, 1995-1997

Box 8, Folder 17

"Kant as a Critical Philosopher:" partial draft, undated

Box 8, Folder 18

"Kripke on Mind-Body Identity:" draft and correspondence, 1973 and undated

Box 8, Folder 19

"Kuhn, Thomas S.," contribution to A Companion to the Philosophy of Science: draft and correspondence, 1993-1994

Box 9, Folder 1

"The Limits of Reductionism:" drafts, undated

Box 9, Folder 2

"Locke, Global Historicity and Linguistic Idealism" and German translation: drafts, undated

Scope and Contents note

Published as chapter 14 of Truth and Progress.

Box 9, Folder 3

"Matter and Event:" drafts, notes, offprint, and correspondence, 1963, 1976 and undated

Box 9, Folder 4

"Metaphilosophy:" draft, 1974

Box 9, Folder 5

"Mind-Body Identity and Irreducible Properties:" drafts, comments, and correspondence, 1964 and undated

Box 9, Folder 6-7

"Mind-Body Identity, Privacy, and Categories:" drafts and notes, circa 1965

Box 10, Folder 1

Objectivity, Relativism, and Truth: Philosophical Papers I, French translation: draft, correspondence, and contracts, 1994

Box 10, Folder 2

"The Overphilosophication of Politics:" proof and correspondence, 1999

Box 10, Folder 3

Pale Fire, Introduction: proof and research materials, 1991

Box 10, Folder 4

"The Paradox of Definitism:" drafts and notes, undated

Box 10, Folder 5

"The Philosopher as Expert:" drafts and correspondence, 1963 and undated

Box 10, Folder 6

Philosophy and Social Hope, Part 2: drafts, proofs, and other materials, 1994

Scope and Contents note

Includes "Truth Without Correspondence to Reality," "A World Without Substances or Essences," and "Ethics Without Principles."

Box 10, Folder 7

"Philosophy and the Dangers of the Twenty-First Century:" draft and correspondence, 1994

Box 10, Folder 8

"Philosophy and the Future:" draft and correspondence, 2000

Scope and Contents note

This essay serves as the introduction to the collection of German translations, Philosophie und die Zukunft.

Box 10, Folder 9

Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature: notes and partial draft, undated

Box 10, Folder 10

"Pragmatism," contribution to the International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 2000

Box 10, Folder 11

"Pragmatism," contribution to the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy: draft, correspondence, and agreements, 1993-1995 and undated

Box 10, Folder 12

"Pragmatism and Religion:" draft, circa 1996

Scope and Contents note

This was the first lecture given as visiting faculty at the University of Girona, Spain.

Box 11, Folder 1

"Pragmatism, Categories, and Language:" drafts, undated

Box 11, Folder 2

"Pragmatism, Davidson, and Truth," section I: drafts and correspondence, 1985

Scope and Contents note

Published as chapter 5 of Objectivity, Relativism, and Truth.

Box 11, Folder 3

"Pragmatism, Pluralism and Postmodernism:" draft, 1998

Box 11, Folder 4

"Pragmatism Without Method:" draft, undated

Box 11, Folder 5

"Pragmatisme, Moralité, et Imagination:" draft and notes, undated

Box 11, Folder 6

"A Pragmatist View of Contemporary Analytic Philosophy:" draft, 1999

Box 11, Folder 7

"Putnam on Truth:" draft, 1989

Box 11, Folder 8

"Rational Beauty, Non-discursive Sublimity, and the Community of Philosophers:" drafts, 1988 and undated

Box 11, Folder 9

"Realism, Categories, and the 'Linguistic Turn':" drafts, correspondence, and notes, 1961-1962 and undated

Box 11, Folder 10

"Realism, Anti-Realism, and Pragmatism: Comments on Alston, Chisholm, Davidson, Harman, and Searle:" draft, 1991

Box 11, Folder 11

"Recent Metaphilosophy:" draft and notes, 1961

Box 11, Folder 12

"Redemption from Egotism:" James and Proust as Spiritual Exercise:" draft, 2000

Box 12, Folder 1

"Reductionism" and related writings: drafts and notes, undated

Box 12, Folder 2

"Relations, Internal and External:" draft and correspondence, 1965

Box 12, Folder 3

"Religious Faith, Intellectual Responsibility, and Romance" and French translation: draft and proof, undated

Box 12, Folder 4

"A Reply to Six Critics:" proof, circa 1984

Box 12, Folder 5

"Solidarity or Objectivity:" draft, undated

Box 12, Folder 6

"The Subjectivist Principle and the Linguistic Turn:" notes, undated

Box 12, Folder 7

"Texts and Lumps:" draft, undated

Box 12, Folder 8

"Trapped Between Kant and Dewey: The Current Situation of Moral Philosophy:" draft, 2000

Box 12, Folder 9

"Universality and Truth:" draft with notes, 1993

Box 12, Folder 10

"Verification and Transcendental Arguments" and "Criteria and Necessity," German translations: drafts 1976-1977

Box 12, Folder 11

"What is Dead in Plato:" draft, undated

Book reviews

Box 12, Folder 12

Aron, Raymond. Introduction to the Philosophy of History, review: draft, circa 1961

Box 12, Folder 13

Bernstein, Richard. The New Constellation, review: draft and correspondence, 1994

Box 12, Folder 14

Blanchard, Brand. Reason and Analysis, review: draft, 1963

Box 12, Folder 15

Bloom, Harold. The Anxiety of Influence: A Theory of Poetry, review: draft with notes, 1973

Box 12, Folder 16

Blumberg, Hans. The Legitimacy of the Modern Age, review: draft with notes, circa 1983

Box 12, Folder 17

Boler, John F. Charles Peirce and Scholastic Realism, review: draft and correspondence, 1963

Box 12, Folder 18

Corman, James W. Metaphysics, Reference, and Language, review: drafts, 1967

Box 12, Folder 19

Feyeraband, Paul. Killing Time (autobiography), review: draft, 1995

Box 12, Folder 20

Goodman, Paul. Utopian Essays and Practical Proposals, review: draft, circa 1963

Box 13, Folder 1

Grene, Marjorie. A Portrait of Aristotle, review: notes, undated

Box 13, Folder 2

Jencks, Christopher and David Reisman. The Academic Revolution, review: draft, undated

Box 13, Folder 3

Lamont, W.D. The Value Judgement, review: draft, undated

Box 13, Folder 4

Levi, Albert William. Philosophy as Social Expression, critical review: report and correspondence, 1971

Box 13, Folder 5

Lewis, H.D. (ed.) Clarity is Not Enough, review: draft, offprint, and correspondence, 1963-1964

Box 13, Folder 6

Moore, Edward C. American Pragmatism, review: draft, 1962

Box 13, Folder 7

Rosen, Stanley. Nihilism, review: proof undated

Box 13, Folder 8

Schacht, Richard. Nietzsche; and Gilles Deleuze. Nietzsche and Philosophy, review essay: draft and correspondence, 1983

Conference papers and public lectures

Box 13, Folder 9

American Philosophical Association conference (San Francisco), session on Robert Brandom: paper, 1995

Box 13, Folder 10

American Philosophical Associaton, Eastern Division, conference: paper and other materials, 1965

Scope and Contents note

Includes comments on Keith Gunderson's "Cybernetics and Mind-Body Problems" and Gunderson's paper.

Box 13, Folder 11

American Philosophical Association, Western Division, conference (Seattle): paper 1996

Scope and Contents note

The paper comments on Marjorie Grene's A Philosophical Testament.

Box 13, Folder 12

American Philosophical Association conference: paper 1980

Scope and Contents note

Paper is a reply to scholars Ian Hacking and Jaegwon Kim.

Box 13, Folder 25

Clark Lectures and Northcliffe Lectures: notes circa 1986

Box 13, Folder 13

Cognitive Psychology and the New Epistemology symposium (Loyola University): paper drafts, correspondence, and program, 1981-1982

Scope and Contents note

The paper replies to Alvin Goldman's and Jerry Fodor's papers, which are included.

Box 13, Folder 14

Comments on papers by other scholars: drafts, undated

Scope and Contents note

Includes papers commenting on work by Ammerman, Armstrong, Gunderson, Hartshorne, Held, MacIntyre, Marcovic, and Ricoeur.

Box 13, Folder 15

Globalization and Cultural Identity conference: draft of remarks, undated

Box 13, Folder 16

Husserl symposium (Vienna): radio program transcript, 1985

Language of Materials note: The transcript is in German.

Box 13, Folder 17

International Center for Semiotic and Cognitive Studies workshop (University of San Marino, 1993): notes and other materials, 1990-1993 and undated

Box 13, Folder 18

Labor Teach-in (Columbia University): speech and other materials, 1996

Box 13, Folder 19

Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) symposium, 2000 Things in the Making: Contemporary Architecture and the Pragmatist Imagination: remarks, 2000

Box 13, Folder 20

Philosophy's Relation to the Humanities conference: paper outline, 1998

Box 13, Folder 21

The Tradition of Western Philosophy and Pragmatism seminar (Otani University): introductory remarks, 1999

Box 13, Folder 22

William Alanson White Institute: panel remarks, 1995

Box 13, Folder 23

"Wittgenstein and Heidegger," lecture (Frankfurt): notes, undated

Box 13, Folder 24

World Congress of Philosophy (Moscow): paper and other materials, 1993

Scope and Contents note

Paper is titled "Philosophy and the Future."

Subseries 2.2. Printed material and audio recording, 1963-2000 and undated

Subseries Arrangement

This subseries is arranged with printed material first, in chronological order, followed by the audio recording.

Box 14, Folder 1-6

Printed material, 1963-1999

Box 15, Folder 1-2

Printed material, 2000 and undated

"Cultural Politics and the Question of the Existence of God": audio recording , 2002 July 17

Scope and Content Summary

Recording of lecture at Calvin College.

Box DM 002, Item MS-C017-CD-001-U

Use copy, 2002

Physical Description

Compact disk.

Box DM 001, Item MS-C017-CD-001-A

Archival preservation compact disk, 2002

Physical description

Archival gold compact disk.

Access

Access to the preservation copy of the compact disk is restricted.

Box 61

Archival original cassette, 2002

Physical description

Audio cassette tape.

Access

Access to the original audio cassette is restricted. For access, users may request use copy.

Series 3. Correspondence, Bulk, 1961-1995 1955-2001

Physical Description: 10.8 Linear feet

Series Scope and Content Summary

Correspondence includes letters and cards received and duplicates of letters sent. Other received materials include manuscripts and offprints signed by the author. The bulk of the correspondence is from scholars and colleagues, but also includes letters from publishers and other institutional correspondents. Among the hundreds of philosophers and other scholars represented are Barry Allen, Annette Baier, Richard Bernstein, Robert Brandom, Hubert Dreyfus, Milton Fisk, Raymond Geuss, Katherine Kearns, Bruce Kuklick, Juergen Habermas, Ian Hacking, Maurice Mandelbaum, Gerald J. Massey, Alexander Nehamas, Jacques Poulain, J.B. Schneewind, Quentin Skinner, and Gregory Vlastos. Also represented are public figures such as judge and legal scholar Richard Posner and U.S. Senator Bill Bradley.

Series Arrangement

Correspondence is first filed alphabetically, then chronologically within that alphabetical arrangement.

Processing Information

When they arrived in the Department of Special Collections and Archives, Rorty's papers contained a large amount of unfiled correspondence, as well as correspondence filed only by year or year range, scattered throughout the collection. In keeping with the order in which Rorty kept a significant portion of his filed correspondence, the bulk of this unfiled material was filed during processing either by 1.) the first letter of the last name of the sender/recipient, manuscript author, or subject of the letter; or 2.) by the organization, institution, publisher, or publication title with which the correspondent was affiliated; or 3.) by topic. Secondary to this alphabetical structure, correspondence is filed roughly chronologically. Following is a more detailed explanation of the two aspects of this filing system:

Alphabetical filing

In cases when letters were filed under the name of a university or a university press, these were filed under the name of the specific university (not under "U"), and in some cases the specific campus. In a few cases, Rorty kept individual folders for particular correspondents or subjects, and this practice was maintained during processing, with these folders filed after the single-letter labeled folders. However, he also filed letters for these named correspondents in the first-letter files, so researchers should not assume all letters to or from these individually-name correspondents are in their named file. For the unfiled letters that did not provide the last name of the correspondent, a minimal attempt was made to identify them and file under the last name. When this failed, the letter was filed by the first name. (Researchers who are able to identify these correspondents or who find misfiled correspondence should bring this to the attention of Special Collections and Archives staff).

Chronological filing

Within their alphabetical groupings, correspondence is grouped by year or range of years. These dates are approximate, however; particularly in cases where correspondence on the same subject was exchanged over a period of time and Rorty kept these letters together, these letters filed together in an attempt to maintain context wherever possible. Dates of folders overlap due to the method of organizing unfiled correspondence and integrating it into filed correspondence. Undated correspondence is filed at the end of the range for that letter of the alphabet. Within folders, letters are not arranged in any order.

Box 15, Folder 3-6

A, 1963-1981

Box 16, Folder 1-4

A, 1982-1995 and undated

Box 16, Folder 5-6

B, 1960-1971

Box 17, Folder 1-6

B, 1971-1983

Box 18, Folder 1-5

B, 1982-1998 and undated

Box 19, Folder 1

Baier, Annette, 1980-1990 and undated

Scope and Contents note

Includes manuscripts, offprints, and other materials

Box 19, Folder 2

Bradley, Bill (U.S. Senator), 1987-1995

Scope and Contents note

In addition to correspondence, includes texts of some of Bradley's speeches, newsletters, and other materials.

Box 19, Folder 3-6

C, 1964-1977

Box 20, Folder 1-8

C, 1978-1998 and undated

Box 21, Folder 1

Cambridge University Press and other publishers, 1968-1994

Scope and Contents note

In addition to correspondence, includes contracts and other materials.

Box 21, Folder 2

Chicago (University of) Press, 1964-1969

Scope and Contents note

In addition to correspondence, includes contracts and reviews of The Linguistic Turn.

Box 21, Folder 3-9

D, 1961-1993

Box 22, Folder 1

D, undated

Mixed materials 22, Folder 10

Derrida, Jacques, 1978, 1982 and 1983

Language of Collection Materials: Materials are in French.

Reproduction Restriction

All reproduction of materials written by Jacques Derrida must be authorized by designates of his heirs. Contact Special Collections and Archives for more information.

Scope and Content Summary

Folder consists of three letters addressed to Rorty from Jacques Derrida.

Box 22, Folder 2

Dreyfus, Hubert, 1979-1985

Scope and Contents note

In addition to correspondence includes manuscripts and comments.

Box 22, Folder 3-8

E, 1961-1999 and undated

Box 22, Folder 9

F, 1962-1972

Box 23, Folder 1-6

F, 1974-1993 and undated

Box 23, Folder 7-8

Fisk, Milton, 1965-1989

Scope and Contents note

In addition to correspondence, includes manuscripts and fellowship application.

Box 24, Folder 1-5

G, 1961-1983

Box 25, Folder 1-3

G, 1984-2001 and undated

Box 25, Folder 4-6

H, 1955-1979

Box 26, Folder 1-6

H, 1975-1989

Box 27, Folder 1-3

H, 1986-2001 and undated

Box 27, Folder 4

Habermas, Juergen, 1970-1995

Scope and Contents note

In addition to correspondence, includes writings by Habermas (drafts and print)

Box 27, Folder 5-6

I, 1963-1997 and undated

Box 27, Folder 7-8

J, 1961-1976

Box 28, Folder 1-2

J, 1977-1994 and undated

Box 28, Folder 3-7

K, 1962-1981

Box 29, Folder 1-3

K, 1982-1995 and undated

Box 30, Folder 1-5

L, 1974-1996 and undated

Box 30, Folder 6

Linguistic Turn: letters to authors concerning permission to republish essays, 1965-1966

Box 31, Folder 1-8

M, 1961-1981

Box 32, Folder 1-7

M, 1980-1995 and undated

Box 33, Folder 1-6

N, 1959-1996 and undated

Box 33, Folder 7

Nehamas, Alexander, after 1990

Scope and Contents note

Includes drafts, offprints, and note.

Box 33, Folder 8-9

O, 1961-1979

Box 34, Folder 1-2

O, 1979-1994 and undated

Box 34, Folder 3-8

P, 1962-1983

Box 35, Folder 1-2

P, 1984-2000 and undated

Box 35, Folder 3

Princeton University Press, 1977-1981

Box 35, Folder 4

Publishing royalties, 1991-1995

Scope and Contents note

In addition to correspondence, includes royalties statements.

Box 35, Folder 5

Q, 1965-1991

Box 35, Folder 6-8

R, 1959-1979

Box 36, Folder 1-5

R, 1975-1994 and undated

Box 36, Folder 6

S, 1960-1965

Box 37, Folder 1-5

S, 1965-1984

Box 38, Folder 1-5

S, 1980-1995 and undated

Box 38, Folder 6

Shoemaker, Sydney, undated

Scope and Contents note

Includes drafts with notes.

Box 38, Folder 7-8

Speaking engagements, 1970-1973

Box 39, Folder 1-6

Speaking engagements, 1973-1981

Box 39, Folder 7-9

T, 1960-1980

Box 40, Folder 1-4

T, 1980-1994 and undated

Box 40, Folder 5

Translations of writings, 1985-1996

Scope and Contents note

In addition to correspondence concerning translations of Rorty's writings, includes contracts.

Box 40, Folder 6

U, 1963-1991 and undated

Box 40, Folder 7-9

V, 1964-1990 and undated

Box 40, Folder 10

Vajda, Mihály, 1993-1994

Scope and Contents note

In addition to correspondence, includes manuscripts.

Box 40, Folder 11

Virgina, University of, and Princeton University, 1981-1987

Box 40, Folder 12

W, 1961-1969

Box 41, Folder 1-6

W, 1971-2000 and undated

Box 41, Folder 7

X, 1981-1982

Box 42, Folder 1

Y, 1962-1988

Box 42, Folder 2

Z, 1968-1989 and undated

Box 42, Folder 3

Unidentified senders, 1968-1991 and undated

Processing Note

The signatures on these letters are absent or illegible.

Series 4. Notes and research materials, 1962-1999 and undated

Physical Description: 1.6 Linear feet

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series includes primarily typed or handwritten notes on various topics. Many of these notes may have been written for teaching; however, they were not found in files that would indicate for which course or seminar. Other notes may have been made in preparation for writing. Also included are some writings by Rorty's contemporaries that comment on his work. There is a small amount of printed material on various topics, mostly photocopies of journal articles and book chapters, that contains Rorty's marginalia.

Series Arrangement

This series is arranged in 2 subseries:

Subseries 4.1. Notes, topical
Subseries 4.2. Writings by contemporaries and other research materials

Appraisal Note

A very small amount (approximately .2 linear feet) of research material was discarded. This included photocopies of articles with no annotations or marginalia and offprints of articles that were not inscribed by their authors.

Processing Information

Notes were sorted by topic and filed in this series if there was no indication to which course, seminar, or writing they pertained.

Subseries 4.1. Notes, topical, 1962-1999

Subseries Arrangement

This subseries is arranged alphabetically by the topic of the notes.

Box 42, Folder 4

Adler, Mortimer, J.: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 5

Analytical philosophy: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 6

Aristotle: notes and articles, undated

Box 42, Folder 7

Arnold, Matthew: article, 1988

Box 42, Folder 8

Ayer, James, and Royce: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 9

Bibliographic research: printouts and photocopies, 1993 and undated

Box 42, Folder 10

Bloom, Harold: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 11

Brandom, Robert: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 12

Bubner: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 13

Culler, Jonathan: notes and article, 1983 and undated

Box 42, Folder 14

Davidson, Donald and Paul de Man: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 15

Derrida, Jacques: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 16

Dewey and Peirce: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 17

Dreyfus, Hubert: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 18

"The End of Philosophy and the Task of Thinking:" lecture notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 19

Epistemology: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 20

Ethnocentrism: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 21

Fichte: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 22

Fish, Stanley: notes, undated

Box 42, Folder 23

Føllesdal: notes, undated

Box 43, Folder 1

Grunbaum, Freud, and others: notes undated

Box 43, Folder 2

Heidegger, Martin: articles with notations, 1979-1988 and undated

Box 43, Folder 3-4

Heidegger: notes undated

Box 43, Folder 5

Heidegger, Gadamer, and Derrida: notes, undated

Box 43, Folder 6

Heidegger, Husserl, and Sartre: notes, undated

Box 43, Folder 7

Heidegger: lecture notes by Hubert Dreyfus undated

Box 43, Folder 8

Heideggerian terms: glossaries undated

Box 43, Folder 9

Hesse: notes, undated

Box 43, Folder 10

Historicism: notes, undated

Box 43, Folder 11

Hume: notes and annotated book chapter, undated

Box 43, Folder 12

Ideas for papers: typescripts, undated

Box 43, Folder 13

Jaspers: notes, undated

Box 43, Folder 14

Kant and Descartes: notes, undated

Box 43, Folder 15

Kuhn, Feyerabend, Davidson, Habermas, Foucault, Gadamer, and Heidegger: notes undated

Box 43, Folder 16

Leibniz: notes on lectures by Hampshire undated

Box 43, Folder 17

Kant and Hegel: notes, undated

Box 43, Folder 18

Kierkegaard: notes undated

Box 44, Folder 1

Lacan: notes, undated

Box 44, Folder 2

Locke: notes, undated

Box 44, Folder 3

Mill: notes, undated

Box 44, Folder 4

Morality, moral relativism, and ethical relativism: notes and article, 1999 and undated

Box 44, Folder 5

Nabokov, Vladimir: photocopies, 1962

Box 44, Folder 6

Nietzsche: notes, undated

Box 44, Folder 7

"Omniscience and Freedom:" lecture notes undated

Box 44, Folder 8

Peirce, Benjamin: notes, undated

Box 44, Folder 9

Phenomenology and existentialism: notes and bibliography, undated

Box 44, Folder 10

"Philosophy Among the Humanities:" brief note, undated

Box 44, Folder 11

Plato: notes and articles, 1982-1986 and undated

Box 44, Folder 12

"Popular Lectures:" notes (from folder so labeled), undated

Box 44, Folder 13

Public intellectuals: notes, undated

Box 44, Folder 14

Royce: notes, undated

Box 44, Folder 15

Searle: notes, undated

Box 44, Folder 16

Tillich: notes, undated

Box 44, Folder 17

"Time and the World Order:" notes, undated

Box 44, Folder 18-19

Various topics: lecture notes, undated

Box 45, Folder 1-3

Various topics: notes and note cards, undated

Box 45, Folder 4

Wiggins: notes, undated

Subseries 4.2. Writings by contemporaries and other research materials, 1974-1993

Subseries Arrangement

This subseries is arranged alphabetically.

Box 45, Folder 5

Articles and papers responding to Rorty's work: drafts, 1982-1992 and undated

Scope and Contents note

Includes manuscripts by Nehamas, Rumana, and other scholars.

Box 45, Folder 6

Articles and papers responding to Rorty's work: drafts, 1980 and undated

Scope and Contents note

Includes manuscripts by Fancher, Laclau, Leist, Levi, MacIntyre, and McCarthy.

Box 46, Folder 1

Articles and papers responding to Rorty's work: drafts and photocopies, 1980 and undated

Scope and Contents note

Includes manuscripts and published work by Bernstein, Brunkhorst, Chappell, Derrida, and Donovan.

Box 46, Folder 2

Articles and papers responding to Rorty's work: drafts, print-outs and correspondence, 1982-1993 and undated

Scope and Contents note

Includes manuscripts and published work by Melvil, Peden, Pettit, Posner, and unidentified writer.

Box 46, Folder 3

Articles responding to Rorty's work: offprints, photocopies, and journal issues, 1982-1995 and undated

Box 46, Folder 4

Brandom, Robert: book review draft and several articles (print), 1976-1988 and undated

Box 46, Folder 5

"Contemporary Philosophy of Mind:" photocopy with notes 1982

Scope and Contents note

Highly annotated copy of Rorty's own article.

Box 46, Folder 6

Field, Hartry offprints and photocopies, 1974, 1978

Box 46, Folder 7

Graff, Gerald: articles (photocopies), 1980-1986 and undated

Box 46, Folder 8

Kripke, Saul. "Identity and Necessity:" offprint, undated

Box 46, Folder 9

La Modernité en Question chez J. Habermas et R. Rorty conference (Centre Culturel International de Cerisy, Paris): conference programs, paper abstracts, and other materials, 1993

Language of Materials note: The materials are in French.

Scope and Content Summary

"Universalism and Pragmatism," the paper which is listed as Rorty's contribution to this conference, was not found during processing and is not included here. Included are abstracts of papers by Juergen Habermas and Alan Montifiore. The latter has a very small amount of notes by Rorty.

Box 46, Folder 10

"Putnam and the Relativist Menace" and response: offprint and draft, 1992-1993

Scope and Contents note

Includes offprint of Rorty's article and draft of response from unidentified critic.

Series 5. Teaching files, 1958-2002

Physical Description: 3.6 Linear feet

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series includes syllabi, lecture notes, exams, student evaluations of teaching, background research materials, lists of books ordered, correspondence, student files, and other materials related to courses taught by Rorty at Wellesley College, Princeton University, the University of Virginia, and institutions where he was on the visiting faculty.

Series Arrangement

This series is arranged in 2 subseries:

Subseries 5.1. Course materials
Subseries 5.2. Student files

Subseries 5.1. Course materials, 1958-2001

Subseries Arrangement

This subseries is arranged alphabetically, primarily by the title of the course.

Box 46, Folder 11

Comparative Literature courses, Stanford University: syllabus and exam, 2001

Box 46, Folder 12

Crisis and the Imagination (European Cultural Studies 320), Princeton University: notes, course evaluations, syllabi, and other materials, 1975-1976

Box 47, Folder 1

Deconstruction (Studies in Criticism and Theory 863), University of Virginia: notes, reading list, and other materials, 1988

Box 47, Folder 2-5

Early Modern Philosophy (Philosophy 332), Princeton University: syllabi, notes, assignments, and other materials, 1979-1981

Box 47, Folder 6

Epistemology (Philosophy 313): lecture notes, undated

Box 47, Folder 7

Freud and Philosophy (Humanistic Studies 954),: syllabus, correspondence, and other materials, 1984

Box 47, Folder 8

Hegel, Nietzsche, and Existentialism (Philosophy 306), Princeton University: syllabus and notes, 1964

Box 47, Folder 9

Hegel to Derrida (Philosophy 318/518), University of Virginia: notes, exams, and reading list, 1987

Box 47, Folder 10

Heidegger courses, University of Virginia: syllabi and notes, 1985, 1989

Box 48, Folder 1

Hirsch, E.D.: lecture notes for his course, 1985-1992

Box 48, Folder 2

Holism, Positivism and Hermeneutics, seminar at Johns Hopkins University: lecture notes, 1985

Box 48, Folder 3-4

Introduction to Contemporary Philosophy (Philosophy 203), Princeton University: notes, reading lists, course evaluations, and other materials, 1967-1968

Box 48, Folder 5

Introduction to Contemporary Metaphysics (Philosophy 203), Princeton University, circa 1976-1979

Box 48, Folder 6

Johann Wolfgang Geothe University (Frankfurt, Germany): course catalog and seminar descriptions, circa 1977

Language of Materials note: Materials are in German.

Box 48, Folder 7

Kant (Philosophy 304), Princeton University: notes, syllabi, course evaluations, and other materials, 1970-1979

Box 49, Folder 1-3

Meaning of a Text (Philosophy 806): notes and research materials, 1974-1989 and undated

Scope and Contents note

Includes manuscripts and published writings by Donald Davidson.

Box 49, Folder 4

The Mind-Body Problem seminar: syllabus and notes, undated

Box 49, Folder 5

Naturalization of Semantics seminar: notes, 1989

Box 49, Folder 6

The Nature of the University (Humanistic Studies 205): syllabi, exams, manuscripts, and other materials, 1972-1973

Scope and Contents note

Includes manuscript by Milton Fisk.

Box 49, Folder 7

Nietzsche-Heidegger seminar: notes, undated

Box 49, Folder 8

Phenomenology and Existentialsm: Continental and Analytical Perspectives on Intentionality (Berkeley Summer Institute): syllabus, lecture notes, correspondence, and other materials, 1980

Box 50, Folder 1

Philosophy 101, Wellesley College: notes, syllabi, and exams, 1958

Box 50, Folder 2

Philosophy 105C, Wellesley College: assignments, exams, and notes, 1960

Box 50, Folder 3

Philosophy 214, Wellesley College: notes, syllabi, exams, and other materials, 1960

Box 50, Folder 4

Philosophy 261: notes, undated

Box 50, Folder 5

Philosophy 305, Princeton University: reading lists, 1964

Box 50, Folder 6

Philosophy 309, Princeton University: notes and reading lists, 1963

Box 50, Folder 7

Philosophy 364: notes, undated

Box 50, Folder 8

The Philosophy of Aristotle (Philosophy 501), Princeton University: syllabi and notes, 1961-1963

Box 50, Folder 9, Box 51, Folder 1-2

Philosophy from Kant to 1900 (Philosophy 333), Princeton University: notes, course evaluations, handouts, and other materials, 1979-1982 and undated

Box 51, Folder 3-5

Philosophy of Mind (Philosophy 315), Princeton University: lecture notes, course evaluations, and reading lists, 1969-1972

Box 51, Folder 6

Philosophy of Mind (Philosophy 322), Wellesley College: syllabus, 1958

Box 51, Folder 7

Plato, Philosophy of Religion, and other topics (various courses): notes, exams, and other materials, undated and 1961

Box 52, Folder 1

Putnam and Davidson (Philosophy 805), University of Virginia: course reader, 1994

Box 52, Folder 2

Rationality and Relativism: syllabus and notes, undated

Box 52, Folder 3-4

Recent Philosophical Systems (Philosophy 203), Princeton University: notes, syllabus, course evaluations, and other materials, 1962 and undated

Box 52, Folder 5

Rise and Decline of the American Left seminar: correspondence, research and other materials, 1996

Box 52, Folder 6

Sellars, Wilfrid (courses on), Princeton University: reading lists, notes, and other materials, 1967-1976 and undated

Box 52, Folder 7

Subject-Object seminar: notes, undated

Box 52, Folder 8

The Sublime and the Beautiful (Studies in Criticism and Theory 982), University of Virginia: course reader, 1998

Box 53, Folder 1

Syllabi and course reader (various courses), 1961-1994 and undated

Box 53, Folder 2

Theories of Interpretation (Studies in Criticism and Theory): syllabus, lectures notes, readings, and research material, 1985-1988

Box 59-60

Subseries 5.2. Student files, 1958-2002

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries includes letters to and from students, papers, exams, comments on papers and exams (with grades), grade rosters, and other materials related to the graduate and undergraduate students in Rorty's courses.

Access

The materials in this subseries are covered under FERPA and are not available for research. Restrictions on these records will begin to be lifted in 2033.

Series 6. Professional activities, 1965-1999

Physical Description: 1.4 Linear feet

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series includes materials related to Rorty's professional service activities in professional societies, academic departments, and other organizations. Many materials relate to Rorty's activities in the American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division, including his term as president in 1979. Also included are materials related to fellowships and grants Rorty sought and received. Materials include correspondence, committee meeting minutes and notes, applications (sent and received), and reports.

Series Arrangement

This series is arranged alphabetically.

Box 53, Folder 3

American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) fellowship application, 1968-1969

Box 53, Folder 4

American Philosophical Association: bulletins, 1971-1973

Box 53, Folder 5

American Philosophical Association: correspondence, meeting minutes, agendas, and other materials, 1979-1981

Box 53, Folder 6

American Philosophical Association: correspondence and other materials, 1980

Box 53, Folder 7

American Philosophical Association: correspondence, agendas, meeting minutes, 1979-1980

Box 53, Folder 8

American Philosophical Association: correspondence with Maurice Mandelbaum and others, 1970-1974

Box 54, Folder 1-2

American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division nominating committee: correspondence, bylaws, reports and other materials, 1980

Box 54, Folder 3

Calendars and appointment books, 1985-1999

Box 54, Folder 4

Carnegie Summer Institute in Philosophy (University of Notre Dame): correspondence and other materials, 1968

Box 54, Folder 5-6

Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences: list of fellows, correspondence, and related materials, 1981-1982

Box 54, Folder 7-8

Chinese and Japanese scholars: notes, correspondence, and other materials, 1982-1987 and undated

Box 54, Folder 9

Dartmouth College School of Criticism and Theory: participants' statements of purpose and photographs, 1992

Box 54, Folder 10

Guggenheim (John Simon) Memorial Foundation: application, correspondence, and other materials, 1969-1975

Box 55, Folder 1

Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik: correspondence and other materials, 1980-1981

Box 55, Folder 2

John Dewey Foundation: correspondence, meeting minutes, financial records, 1978-1996 and undated

Box 55, Folder 3

Library of America: correspondence and publications, 1992-1993

Box 55, Folder 4

MacArthur Foundation: press release, fellowship recipient list, and clippings, 1981

Box 55, Folder 5

McCosh Faculty Fellowship application, 1968

Box 55, Folder 6

Metaphysical Society of America: meeting program committee correspondence and proposed program, 1972

Box 55, Folder 7

Modern Studies and Literature (M.A. program), University of Virginia: correspondence, reading list and other materials, 1994

Box 55, Folder 8

Monist board: conference letters, response sheets, and other materials, 1969

Box 55, Folder 9

Nanzan University (Japan) workshop/lecture program on American culture: correspondence and related materials, 1983

Box 55, Folder 10-12

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): correspondence, financial statements, proposed course materials, and other materials, 1978-1979

Box 55, Folder 13

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): fellowship applications, draft proposals, and other materials, 1965-1967 and undated

Box 55, Folder 14

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): fellowship application, 1991

Box 56, Folder 1-3

New School for Social Research, Enabling Committee for Hirings: correspondence, CVs, and other materials, 1981-1982

Box 56, Folder 4

Peirce (Charles S.) historic site: correspondence, exhibit design notes, scholarly papers and other materials, 1974-1978

Box 56, Folder 5

Philosophy (Department of), Princeton University: correspondence, 1967-1980

Box 56, Folder 6

Philosophy (Department of), University of Virginia: course descriptions and other materials, 1986-1988

Box 56, Folder 7

Princeton University academic programs: reports and other materials, 1974-1978

Box 56, Folder 8

Research project proposals received, 1981-1991 and undated

Box 56, Folder 9

Theory Seminar, University of Virginia: planning committee correspondence and other materials, 1995

Series 7. Biographical material, 1964-2003

Physical Description: 0.9 Linear feet

Language of Materials: Book reviews and articles about Rorty are in many languages in addition to English.

Series Arrangement

This series is arranged in 2 subseries:

Subseries 7.1. Book Reviews
Subseries 7.2. Interviews, profiles, ephemera, and other material

Within each subseries, materials are arranged alphabetically.

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series includes reviews, in the form of clippings and other printed material, of Rorty's books. Also included are articles about Rorty, in printed form, such as profiles and interviews. Ephemera such as posters and programs for conferences, lectures, and other events are also in this series, as are a few photographs.

Subseries 7.1. Book reviews, 1968-1994

Box 57, Folder 1

Collections in translation, reviews: clippings and photocopies, 1991-1994

Box 57, Folder 2

Consequences of Pragmatism, reviews: clippings, photocopies, typescript, 1983-1989

Box 57, Folder 3

Consequences of Pragmatism and Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature, review essays: print and photocopy, 1983-1984

Box 57, Folder 4

Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity, reviews: photocopies, 1991-1992

Box 57, Folder 5

"Freud and Moral Reflection" in Pragmatism's Freud (eds. Smith and Kerrigan), review: photocopy, 1986

Box 57, Folder 6

Philosophical Papers, volumes I and II, reviews: clippings and photocopies, 1991 and undated

Box 57, Folder 7-9

Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature, reviews: clippings, photocopies, offprints, and typescripts, 1981-1984

Box 58, Folder 1

Linguistic Turn, reviews: clippings and photocopies, 1968-1972

Box 58, Folder 2

Philosophy in History, reviews: clippings and photocopies, 1985-1986

Subseries 7.2. Interviews, profiles, ephemera, and other material, 1964-2003

Box 58, Folder 3

Conference and lecture programs, 1967-1995

Box FB 070, Folder 4

Conference posters, 1980-1996

Box 58, Folder 4

Curricula vitae and bibliography, circa 1964-2003

Box 58, Folder 5

Honors bestowed: event programs, 1992, 1997

Box 58, Folder 6-7

Interviews, profiles, and other articles: print and photocopies, 1981-1997 and undated

Box 58, Folder 8-9

Photographs, undated

Series 8. Born digital files, 1988-2003

Physical Description: 0.2 Linear feet (1 box and 1027 digital files)

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series comprises Richard Rorty's electronic word-processing files. Included are letters, many drafts of writings, lecture notes, syllabi, and exams. Also included are bibliographies of his work, a few administrative files, and a couple of documents relating to his children. This series also contains drafts of writings done by his peers and colleagues. Researchers will notice some data loss and corruption has occurred in some of the earliest files.

Series Arrangement

This series is arranged in 8 subseries:

Subseries 8.1. Born digital administrative and professional files
Subseries 8.2. Bord digital biographical files
Subseries 8.3. Born digital correspondence
Subseries 8.4. Born digital family files
Subseries 8.5. Born digital research files
Subseries 8.6. Born digital teaching files
Subseries 8.7. Born digital writings
Subseries 8.8. Floppy disks

Processing information

Digital files were retrieved from Richard Rorty's 3.5 inch floppy disks during processing and converted to pdf format in order to facilitate preservation and access.

Other Finding Aid

These files can be searched and accessed through UCIspace @ the Libraries .

Subseries 8.1. Born digital administrative and professional files, 1989-1999

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries includes a few files Rorty maintained for keeping track of his publications and royalties, books in his personal library, things to do, and other topics.

Other Finding Aid

These born digital administrative and professional files can be searched and accessed through UCIspace @ the Libraries .

Subseries 8.2. Born digital biographical files, 1992-2001

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries includes primarily bibliographies of: Rorty's writings, reviews of his books, and articles about him.

Other Finding Aid

These born digital biographical files can be searched and accessed through UCIspace @ the Libraries .

Subseries 8.3. Born digital correspondence, 1992-2000

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries consists of outgoing correspondence, predominantly letters that were faxed or sent by postal mail. (No emails are included in this collection). Included are letters sent to colleagues, editors, and other professional correspondents.

Other Finding Aid

These born digital correspondence files can be searched and accessed through UCIspace @ the Libraries .

Subseries 8.4. Born digital family files, 1998-2001

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries includes two files relating to the education of his children Kevin and Patricia.

Other Finding Aid

These born digital family files can be searched and accessed through UCIspace @ the Libraries .

Subseries 8.5. Born digital research files, 1992-2002

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries includes mainly drafts of writings authored by other scholars.

Other Finding Aid

These born digital research files can be searched and accessed through UCIspace @ the Libraries .

Subseries 8.6. Born digital teaching files, 1988-2002

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries comprises course materials created by Rorty for courses and seminars he taught at the University of Virginia and Stanford University. Included are primarily drafts of syllabi and reading lists, lecture and seminar notes, exams, and assignments.

Other Finding Aid

These born digital teaching files can be searched and accessed through UCIspace @ the Libraries .

Subseries 8.7. Born digital writings, 1988-2003

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

This subseries is comprised of drafts of Rorty's writings. Included are: essays and articles for scholarly journals and magazines; book chapters; book reviews; conference papers; lectures, speeches and remarks. Some files contain related correspondence. Notes taken in preparation for writing are also included in this series.

Included are drafts of chapters in Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America (1998), which are adaptations of the William E. Massey, Sr., Lectures in the History of American Civilization at Harvard University (1997). Also included are drafts of lectures given as visiting professor at various universities, such as those delivered at the University of Girona, Catalonia, Spain (1996) under the overall title, "Anti-Authoritarianism in Epistemology and Ethics;" and the Spinoza lectures, delivered at the University of Amsterdam (1997). Many of these lectures as visiting professor were eventually published as well.

Drafts of a few of the papers that were eventually published in Philosophy as Cultural Politics: Philosophical Papers IV (2007) are included, as are many drafts of writings that were published as chapters in anthologies. Among these are responses to interlocutors in Rorty and His Critics (ed. Robert C. Brandom, 2000).

Included also are drafts of papers delivered at conferences and symposia in Philosophy and other disciplines, as well as invited talks, lectures and speeches delivered at universities and other institutions around the world. There are drafts of many articles that were published in magazines, newspapers, and academic journals. A few translated writings are included, as well as drafts of prefaces and introductions to volumes of writings in translation.

Other Finding Aid

These born digital writings can be searched and accessed through UCIspace @ the Libraries .

Box 61

Subseries 8.8. Computer disks, 1988-2003

Subseries Scope and Content Summary

Floppy disks containing word processing files.

Access

Floppy disks are not for user access. The word processing files on these disks have been made available to researchers in UCIspace @ the Libraries . Exceptions to this access include the restricted student files (which were printed out and placed in Series 4. Teaching files, Subseries 4.2, Student files) and some files not created by Rorty.

Physical Description

3.5 inch computer floppy disks.