Forward.com

What Rorty WroughtRichard Rorty’s death on June 8, at the age of 75, cut short a unique philosophical career. His influence on the intellectual scene of the final quarter of the 20th century can hardly be exaggerated. Rorty’s name is, indeed, known far and wide. But his influence extended far beyond the circles of those who knew anything about his work. When Americans speak of a “postmodern era,” even when they swear in the name of Michel Foucault or Jacques Derrida, they mostly speak a Rortian dialect: the belief that by giving up the idea of Objective Truth, we would become more liberal and more democratic.…Read more

Destined To Clash: Zionism and the SettlementsLords of the Land: The Settlers and the State of Israel, 1967-2004 By Idith Zertal and Akiva Eldar Kinneret, Zmora-Bitan Dvir Publishing House. * * *Many studies exist detailing one aspect or another of the story of Israel’s settlement of its occupied territories. None, however, in Hebrew or in any other language, has tried to tell the…Read more