[MD] Ironistic Metaphysics

[Steve Peterson]

Hi all,

What is metaphysics? Does everyone have a metaphysics? Or can people  
get by without being metaphysicians?

Rorty:
"I shall define an "ironist" as someone who fulfills three  
conditions: (1) She has radical and continuing doubts about the final  
vocabulary she currently uses, because she has been impressed by  
other vocabularies, vocabularies taken as final by people or books  
she has encountered; (2) she realizes that argument phrased in her  
present vocabulary can neither underwrite nor dissolve these doubts;  
(3) insofar as she philosophizes about her situation, she does not  
think that her vocabulary is closer to reality than others, that it  
is in touch with a power not herself. Ironists who are inclined to  
philosophize see the choice between vocabularies as made neither  
within a neutral and universal metavocabulary nor by an attempt to  
fight one's way past appearances to the real, but simply by playing  
the new off against the old."

Is Pirsig an ironist?

Thanks,
Steve