Philosopher Richard Rorty is one of many members of a semi-recent trend known as post-philosophy in which many of the historical ideas that have been extremely central to philosophical studies are being challenged. In his work Contingency, Irony and Solidarity, Rorty questions the idea of a truth that is “out there” and makes use of an incredible analogy of the philosopher and the poet. The philosopher uses language as a tool or a mold hoping to model the most accurate representation of the world. Whilst the poet, on the other hand, does not seek to find or describe any sort of absolute truth, but rather to create their own meaning. 

I’ve made an effort to seek out and delve into this analogy within Giorgio Vasta’s Time on my Hands. This idea may be present to some degree in many texts, however, it is especially significant in Time on my Hands where the three young revolutionary protagonists place such an emphasis on their relation to language and meaning. 

This task proves to be more difficult than it may seem because of the necessity of grappling with the apparent inconsistencies within the boys’ radical new ideology. However I don’t think this fact makes the topic worth shying away from—if anything, it merely brings to light the discussion surrounding (un)intentionality of actors and authors.