Remémoration ou redescription? Brandom e Rorty sur l'héritage des Lumières

The contribution uses the recent French publications of Robert Brandom’s Reason in Philosophy and Perspectives on Pragmatism to explore how Brandom and Richard Rorty draw on the legacy of the Enlightenment in developing their respective philosophical projects. The analysis focuses on the key concepts and words employed by both thinkers (their respective final vocabularies) and the narratives they construct around the Enlightenment and their legacy to it. For Brandom and Rorty alike, the Enlightenment marks the end of heteronomy and divine authority: human beings are responsible for determining their own norms and collective future. Yet their interpretations differ significantly for what this exactly entails. The article follows how Brandom emphasizes the categories of reason, responsibility, and a conception of autonomy that does not abolish authority but redefines it in a positive way. Rorty, by contrast, stresses emancipation, redescription, and a naturalistic perspective in which rationality does not occupy a privileged position. Both strands of thought and hold their appeal in today's world and certainly, “emancipation” and “responsibi- lity” are two concepts that we should seek to retain in our self-descriptions as philosophers and citizens. Reading Brandom (and Rorty) gives us a better understanding of the implications and corollaries of these terms and vocabularies.