Rorty's advocacy for sentiment education can be inferred from several aspects of his work:
* Ironism and Self-Creation: Rorty champions irony and self-creation. He argues against grand narratives and foundationalist beliefs. This implies an education that encourages self-reflection, critical thinking, and a willingness to revise one's beliefs and sentiments in light of experience and new information. The "sentiments" fostered would be those of intellectual humility and openness.
* Contingency and Solidarity: Rorty emphasizes the contingency of our beliefs and the importance of solidarity with others. This suggests an education that fosters empathy, compassion, and a willingness to understand different perspectives. The aim isn't to instill a uniform set of feelings but to cultivate a capacity for understanding and engaging with the feelings and experiences of others, especially the marginalized.
* Rejection of Foundationalism: Because Rorty rejects the idea of objective, universally valid moral truths, his approach to sentiment education wouldn't be based on inculcating a specific morality through appeals to reason or a transcendental source. Instead, it would focus on fostering a commitment to certain *practices* and *attitudes* that promote human flourishing and social justice within a particular community. These practices would be developed through conversation, shared experiences, and ongoing debate— not through the imposition of a pre-defined moral code.
* Emphasis on Literature and the Arts: Rorty believed that literature and the arts played a crucial role in expanding our capacity for empathy and understanding. An education that includes a robust engagement with literature and art would therefore be crucial in cultivating the kinds of sentiments he valued.
In essence, Rorty's implied approach to sentiment education is pragmatic, antifoundationalist, and community-oriented. It focuses on cultivating a disposition towards critical self-reflection, empathy, solidarity, and a willingness to revise one's beliefs and sentiments in light of experience and conversation with others. It's not about teaching specific emotions, but fostering the conditions under which desirable sentiments can flourish.