In this book, Rorty explains his fundamental belief that because human consciousness is limited by perception, that our ideas about truth and objectivity are still purely subjective, but instead of discussing these things in those terms, he explains them a new way.
Rorty argues that the entire practice of philosophy has fallen prey to a foul temptation: The temptation to believe that humans are perceiving the universe sufficiently. Rorty then explores this axiomatic problem through the lens of language. Rorty suggests that what we often call "reason" is simply speculation from a limited set of facts. He suggests that what we often call "objectivity" is really just the language game of different people agreeing to one idea. This, he calls "truth." Truth in his sense is really just the practice of giving someone's idea one's approval, and nothing more.
Then Rorty discusses paradigms, which are systems for interpretation. In this case, he looks at philosophical paradigm shifts that have undermined commonly held beliefs. This introduces a problem, because even the most cursory glance at the past will reveal that at all times in human history, people's ideas about reality have been limited. For example, scientific breakthrough or cultural revolution have historically altered what humans regard as "obvious and normal." Therefore, if we are to learn from the past, Rorty suggests that we should regard our current sense for what is "obvious and normal" with a grain of salt.
