PHIL 370-01, American Philosophy, Spring 2007

Abstract

American philosophy, especially as represented by classical pragmatism, bears a complicated relationship to the European tradition. On the one hand, it embraces that tradition’s commitment to progress. This is best seen in its doctrine of meliorism which contends that things can get better (at least incrementally) if we earnestly apply intelligence to our actions. On the other hand, though, American philosophy rejects many traditional (especially modern) European philosophies, especially insofar as they view knowledge and thought apart from action and aimed what is abstract and absolute. American philosophy proposes a worldview that embraces the purposive, pluralistic, experimental and contextual nature of human thought, activity, and reality. We will consider various pragmatist responses to such issues as: how action is central to knowledge and value; how truth and philosophical categories can be understood instrumentally; how human activity is rooted in our biology; and how habit, impulse, and thought interweave in intelligent action to secure progress. • Some General Objectives: -To understand the reasons why (and the means by which) American philosophy breaks away from traditional modes of thought and authority. -To understand the reasons for and consequences of valuing the experimental method of thought and action, especially at this point in history. -To understand the embedded nature of humans and their activities, and the implications of this understanding for the treatment of traditional philosophical problems. -To foster the development (articulation, support, and assessment) of your own “live options.”