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American Pragmatist Philosophy
COL224 SP

Crosslistings: PHIL218

If there is a "philosophical movement" rooted in North American soil, it is Pragmatism, a set of variations on the theme that mental and theoretical life get their content and significance from practice and experience. Pragmatists aim their inquiry neither at the shining ideals of the a priori, nor the "cold hard facts" of positivist science, but at jumping in mid-stream and fine-tuning our attitudes and orientation to the "live" problems of experience and public life. Framous pragmatist thoughts includ Peirce's view that belief amounts to the establishment of a habit, and James' argument that what to believe (and believe in) presents a moral choice, not simply a dictate of reason. Pragmatists have been especially unwilling to segregate facts fro m values, mind from physica nature, essence from relations and context. While these commitments also find their way into existentialist and postmodernist continental philosophy, typical pragmatist writing conveys a distinctive optimism about our human predicament.

MAJOR READINGS

Charles Sanders Peirce, C.S. PEIRCE SELECTED WRITINGS (ed. Wiener, Dover 1958)

William James, THE WRITINGS OF WILLIAM JAMES (ed. McDermott, Chicago 1977)

John Dewey, PHILOSOPHY OF JOHN DEWEY (ed. McDermott, 1981)

Richard Rorty, OBJECTIVITY, RELATIVISM, AND TRUTH (Cambridge 1991)

Students may visit the library reserve desk for photocopies of additional articles from Alain Locke, Jane Addams, George Herbert Mead, Josiah Royce, Hilary Putnam, Nancy Fraser, and Cornel West.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Frequent short written responses and three papers.

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS COL    Grading Mode: Student Option   

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Springer,Elise    
Instructor's Course Page
Times: ....T.. 01:10PM-04:00PM;     Location: BTFDC314
Reserved Seats:    (Total Limit: 20)
SR. major: 5   Jr. major: 5
SR. non-major: 3   Jr. non-major: 2   SO: 5   FR:

Special Attributes:
Curricular Renewal:    Ethical Reasoning, Focused Inquiry Course

Last Updated on MAR-24-2000


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