Pragmatism An Introduction

by Bacon, Michael

• ISBN13: 9780745646640
• ISBN10: 0745646646
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-05-14
• Publisher: Polity

Summary

Pragmatism: An Introduction provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the arguments of the central figures of American pragmatism. It is a wide-ranging and accessible introduction to the work of the classical pragmatists Charles Saunders Peirce, William James and John Dewey, as well as more recent figures including Richard Rorty, Richard J. Bernstein, Cheryl Misak and Robert B. Brandom. In a cogent and engaging analysis, Michael Bacon shows that the pragmatists insist on the centrality of social practice for philosophy. In so doing they oppose many of the presumptions that have dominated philosophy since Descartes. Rather than conceive of knowledge and truth as accurately representing a mind-independent reality, Bacon illustrates how pragmatists view them in terms of success in addressing the particular problems that confront human beings in the course of their lives. The book explores the diverse range of positions within the field which have often resulted in marked and sometimes acrimonious disputes amongst pragmatist thinkers. Bacon sheds light on these differences by identifying the themes which underlie them, suggesting greater commonality than might be expected. The result is an illuminating narrative of a rich philosophical movement which will be of interest to students in philosophy, politics, and the history of ideas.

Author Biography

Michael Bacon is Senior Lecturer in Political Theory, Department of Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Introduction	p. 1
The Birth of Pragmatism: Charles Sanders Peirce and William James	p. 15
John Dewey on Philosophy and Democracy	p. 44
Pragmatism and Analytic Philosophy: W. V. O. Quine, Wilfrid Sellars and Donald Davidson	p. 63
Neo-Pragmatism: Richard Rorty and Hilary Putnam	p. 92
Between Europe and America: Jürgen Habermas and Richard J. Bernstein	p. 122
The Return of Peirce: Susan Haack And Cheryl Misak	p. 147
Rationalist Pragmatism and Pragmatic Naturalism: Robert B. Brandom and Huw Price	p. 171
Conclusion	p. 199
Works Cited	p. 202
Index	p. 208
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