Richard Rorty's socialist parents, Walter Rauschenbusch's daughter Winifred and her husband James Rorty, moved from churchly circles into the cosmopolitan company of the old New York Intellectuals and at least for a season loved Trotsky more than Jesus. Their son Richard was born in 1931 into a family circle of leftist politics and very progressive social hopes. Frequent guests in the Rorty home included John Dewey, Sidney Hook, Lionel Trilling, the Italian anarchist Carlo Tresca and John Frank (Trotsky's secretary who lived with the Rortys under an assumed name). Richard Rorty confesses that as a boy of 12 he knew the point of being human was to give one's life to fight against social injustice. He also knew the temptations and terrors of radical politics. He knew that Stalin had ordered the assassinations of Trotsky, Tresca, Frank and scores of other anti-totalitarian leftist leaders and intellectuals.
Group items matching
in title, tags, annotations or urlFrank Marshall Davis: Communist Mentor to a President - 0 views
1More
Ex-Intelligence Officers, Others See Plusses in WikiLeaks Disclosures - 0 views
5More
Marcia G. Yerman: Race, Gender and the Media in the 2008 Elections - 0 views
3More
Jobs Bill Looks Ready To Pass Major Hurdle After GOPers Join Dems | TPMDC - 0 views
3More
Don't Blame Obama, America Did It To Itself - 0 views
1 - 15 of 15
Showing 20▼ items per page