Rorty takes for granted a distinction of Dewey:
| Platonism | pragmatism |
|---|---|
| Principles | practices |
| Theoria | phronesis |
| Knowing that | knowing how |
| End the | Continuing the conversation |
Platonists look for a principle or rule, something explicit or that could be made explicit, behind every implicit propriety of practice.
Pragmatists argue that explicit principles or theories float on a vast sea of implicit practical skills.
For example, a cobbler can make good shoes. The Platonist looks for what form is behind his mastery, what principle / mental representation makes it possible that the cobbler does that? The pragmatist treats the skill as prior to the principle.