scholarly journals An Evaluation of William James’ Pragmatic Concept of Truth

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 11-21
Author(s):  
Anetoh Bonaventure Chike
Keyword(s):  
William James ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
Pragmatic Theory ◽  
Practical Consequence ◽  
Concept Of Truth ◽  
Practical Implications

This article focuses on an evaluation of William James’ pragmatic concept of truth. Pragmatism is one of the contemporary schools of thought or movements in philosophy. It emphasizes the practical aspects of ideas or theories. Among the basic issues in pragmatism is the issue of truth. The basic questions are: What is pragmatism? How does William James conceive truth in his pragmatic theory? Is truth objective or relative? Is truth static or ever-changing? Is there any relationship between truth and practical consequences of things? Is truth intrinsic or extrinsic to an idea? These and other related issues are the major focus of this article. William James, in his pragmatism, approaches truth from the perspective of its practical consequence, and argues that truth ‘happens’ to an idea. The researcher argues that though William James’ pragmatic concept of truth is associated with some problems, he has made outstanding contributions to scholarship by bringing out the practical implications of truth, and extricating it from rationalistic tendency as well as dogmatism.

The Process-Oriented Conception of Truth in William James

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-233
Author(s):  
J. Edward Hackett ◽  
Keyword(s):  
William James ◽  
Process Philosophy ◽  
Radical Empiricism ◽  
Process Thought ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Process Oriented ◽  
Concept Of Truth

In this article, I argue that William Jamess concept of truth can be interpreted accurately if we pay attention to the radical empiricism that underlines the notion in all of James's later writings and if we also see radical empiricism as a type of process thought. When we acknowledge these two conditions, we can see how Cheryl Misak is mistaken in reinscribing subjectivism back into Jamess radical empiricism, which attempted to overcome the subject-object distinction in the first place. In reading James through radical empiricism qua process philosophy, then, the background assumptions of James are set into relief yielding a deeper and richer conception of truth.

Truth, pragmatic theory of

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Kirkham
Keyword(s):  
John Dewey ◽  
William James ◽  
True Proposition ◽  
Pragmatic Theory ◽  
Consensus Theory ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Truth Value

Two distinctly different kinds of theories parade under the banner of the ‘pragmatic theory of truth’. First, there is the consensus theory of C.S. Peirce, according to which a true proposition is one which would be endorsed unanimously by all persons who had had sufficient relevant experiences to judge it. Second, there is the instrumentalist theory associated with William James, John Dewey, and F.C.S. Schiller, according to which a proposition counts as true if and only if behaviour based on a belief in the proposition leads, in the long run and all things considered, to beneficial results for the believers. (Peirce renamed his theory ‘pragmaticism’ when his original term ‘pragmatism’ was appropriated by the instrumentalists.) Unless they are married to some form of ontological anti-realism, which they usually are, both theories imply that the facts of the matter are not relevant to the truth-value of the proposition.

Pragmatist Truth in the Post-Truth Age

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sami Pihlström
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
William James ◽  
Philosophy Of Religion ◽  
The Will ◽  
Concept Of Truth

It is commonly believed that populist politics and social media pose a serious threat to our concept of truth. Philosophical pragmatists, who are typically thought to regard truth as merely that which is 'helpful' for us to believe, are sometimes blamed for providing the theoretical basis for the phenomenon of 'post-truth'. In this book, Sami Pihlström develops a pragmatist account of truth and truth-seeking based on the ideas of William James, and defends a thoroughly pragmatist view of humanism which gives space for a sincere search for truth. By elaborating on James's pragmatism and the 'will to believe' strategy in the philosophy of religion, Pihlström argues for a Kantian-inspired transcendental articulation of pragmatism that recognizes irreducible normativity as a constitutive feature of our practices of pursuing the truth. James himself thereby emerges as a deeply Kantian thinker.

Marx's Concept of Truth: A Kantian Interpretation

1977 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-326
Author(s):  
David B. Myers
Keyword(s):  
Social Theory ◽  
William James ◽  
Marxist Theory ◽  
Theory Of Knowledge ◽  
Social Knowledge ◽  
Classical Formulation ◽  
Classical Definition ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Concept Of Truth ◽  
Definition Of

It would be misleading to make any reference to Marx's “theory” of truth-for nowhere in the corpus of Marx's writings will one find an essay dealing with truth in a thematic way. Marx's scattered remarks on truth occur within the context of discussions of social questions. What one can pull together on the topic of truth amounts at most to the sketch of a concept which applies to social knowledge and not knowledge in general. My aim will be to reconstruct Marx's concept of social truth on the basis of his writings on society and social theory.Those who want a systematic essay developing a general Marxist theory of knowledge have, of course, Lenin's classical formulation of Marxist epistemology in Materialism and Empiriocriticism. We also have Leszek Kolakowski's bold and heretical attack on Lenin's interpretation in “Marx and the Classical Definition of Truth” where we find the astounding claim that Marx's view of truth is closer to that of William James than to that of Lenin.Kolakowski's essay has been the subject of numerous attacks both by predictably indignant true believers and by independent, creative Marxists.

Rorty's Nietzschean Pragmatism: A Jamesian Response

2004 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 605-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason M. Boffetti
Keyword(s):  
Friedrich Nietzsche ◽  
William James ◽  
Richard Rorty ◽  
Liberal Society ◽  
Radical Empiricism ◽  
Pragmatic Theory ◽  
What Works ◽  
Complete Interpretation

Richard Rorty makes the case that Friedrich Nietzsche shared a common pragmatism with William James in order to incorporate certain Nietzschean themes into neo-pragmatism and to give his philosophy stronger pragmatic credentials. In making this connection, he establishes a version of pragmatism that rejects both epistemology and metaphysics, reduces the pragmatic theory of truth to “truth is what works,” places the Darwinian account of man at the center of the human narrative, and makes Nietzschean “self-creation” the chief end of a postmodern, post-religious liberal society. But if one reads James more faithfully (a task that Rorty rejects), it is clear that James does not succumb to the nihilism, perspectivalism, and atheism characteristic of Rorty's Nietzschean pragmatism. A more comprehensive reading of James's philosophy brings together James's pragmatism, his pluralism, and his radical empiricism. And this more complete interpretation of James's pragmatism offers a pluralistic and hopeful approach to politics that does not suffer from Nietzsche's and Rorty's nihilistic, relativistic, and antipolitical tendencies.

scholarly journals PRAGMATIC INTERPRETATIONS OF METAPHYSICAL PROBLEMS (WILLIAM JAMES)

2019 ◽  
pp. 57-69
Author(s):  
Nataliia Salnikova
Keyword(s):  
Common Sense ◽  
William James ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Concept Of Truth

The main task of philosophy W. James considered on the study of problems of metaphysics, theology and morality. In this connection, the concept of “truth” and the problem of its essence occupy one of the leading places in the concept of pragmatism. In general, James believed that the practical consequences and results of metaphysical concepts and religious teachings are shaped by the spiritual ideas of their followers. James’s concept of pragmatism does not contain any new arguments in favor of the solution of philosophical problems in accordance with logic and common sense, but there are reasons for such a decision to be considered necessary. This is due to the interrelation of metaphysical ideas with the solution of practically important problems.

1. What religion is

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Tweed
Keyword(s):  
Sigmund Freud ◽  
Karl Marx ◽  
William James ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Religious Practices ◽  
Court Case ◽  
Emile Durkheim ◽  
Practical Implications

“What religion is,” argues that if religion matters, then definitions do too. Definitions of religion have practical implications and real-life effects. Many political constitutions, for example, use the word religion. But it is not always clear what it means. There are passionate debates about how to define religion, as looking at one court case involving ordinary religious practices linked with Africa shows. That case illustrates that definitions can be controversial. Those who have tried to characterize religion have used different metaphors to understand it and offered different judgments about whether it is helpful or harmful. What religion is can also be analyzed by considering important definitions, from more critical accounts by Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx to more sympathetic ones by William James and Émile Durkheim.

scholarly journals Scanning Leadership Competencies through Millennial's lenses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajmani Pandey ◽  
Saiprasad Acharya ◽  
Rachna Nigam ◽  
Snigdha Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Leadership Competencies ◽  
Work Setting ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
The Future ◽  
Future Leaders ◽  
Practical Implications

<p><i>Millennial </i>is the category of generation who are born between 1980s to 2000. Hence, the present workplace across industries in the globe is dominated by millennials. It is also clear that they are the future leaders. Hence, it is imperative to comprehend the preferences they perceive in terms of work and leadership. When we are deliberating about work, it covers both the content and context of the work setting, whereas leadership is being acknowledged as the management or boss, who influence millennials to contribute for the revenue of the organization. So, major focus in the workplace has gone to millennials. No doubt, these millennials possess and demonstrate different attitudes, values, beliefs, and aspirations when compared to the previous generations and leaders should be alert every time, be flexible towards the requirement and become the role model for the generation. Therefore, an attempt has been made here by the researchers to develop a conceptual framework that explores Millennials’ perception of leadership in the workplace. By examining Millennials perception in the context of leadership, this article provides important theoretical and practical implications for organizations of present and future.</p>

scholarly journals Scanning Leadership Competencies through Millennial's lenses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajmani Pandey ◽  
Saiprasad Acharya ◽  
Rachna Nigam ◽  
Snigdha Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Leadership Competencies ◽  
Work Setting ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
The Future ◽  
Future Leaders ◽  
Practical Implications

<p><i>Millennial </i>is the category of generation who are born between 1980s to 2000. Hence, the present workplace across industries in the globe is dominated by millennials. It is also clear that they are the future leaders. Hence, it is imperative to comprehend the preferences they perceive in terms of work and leadership. When we are deliberating about work, it covers both the content and context of the work setting, whereas leadership is being acknowledged as the management or boss, who influence millennials to contribute for the revenue of the organization. So, major focus in the workplace has gone to millennials. No doubt, these millennials possess and demonstrate different attitudes, values, beliefs, and aspirations when compared to the previous generations and leaders should be alert every time, be flexible towards the requirement and become the role model for the generation. Therefore, an attempt has been made here by the researchers to develop a conceptual framework that explores Millennials’ perception of leadership in the workplace. By examining Millennials perception in the context of leadership, this article provides important theoretical and practical implications for organizations of present and future.</p>

scholarly journals Meta-political cognitivism and the place of truth in politics

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-94
Author(s):  
Andrija Soc
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Deliberative Democracy ◽  
William James ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
The Political ◽  
Truth Values ◽  
Moral Principles ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Concept Of Truth ◽  
Definition Of

In this paper I discuss how the need for defining truth in a political context retains its importance even in the light of the insistence from political realists that such attempts will necessarily fail.1 I mention two debates in the political philosophy that intersect at this issue. The first is the dispute between those who, like Rawls, adhere to epistemic agnosticism and deny that we can have an operational definition of truth in politics and those who, following Habermas, argue that our political propositions always have truth values. The second debate is that between political moralists and political realists. I then try to show why both realists and moralists need to amend their views in order to fully take into account the complexities of the political domain. Moralists need to recognize that the realists are correct in denying the effective applicability of general moral principles, while realists err in thinking that moral principles in politics must only be general in nature. By incorporating the possibility of particularism in politics we can also find the plausible candidate for the operational view of the concept of truth ? the pragmatist conception as elucidated by William James. This can then help us develop more meta-political cognitivism more fully and apply it to a wide range of issues in political philosophy, one of the most important being the efficacy of deliberative democracy.

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