VOIR PROUST EN MONTAIGNE : Rorty et le « personnage » de l’ironiste

Abstract

In Contingency, Irony & Solidarity (1989), Rorty presents Proust as an exemplar of the ‘ironist’ in the field of the novel. This leads him to consider theories expressed in Swann’s Way — concerning the relation between language and reality, for instance — as “Proust’s theories”, and as a proof of the absence of empathy in Proust’s mind. This paper analyzes Rorty’s interpretation (rejected by Rancière), its demonstration – especially the lack of exact references to A la recherche – and the creation of a persona evoking another writer behind Proust.