Yorùbá Values and the Environment

This essay deploys Yorùbá ontology, epistemology and axiology to construct a Yorùbá ecological philosophy, or ecosophy. It argues that in contrast with the Judeo-Christian tradition of environmental anthropomorphic domination as the destiny of humanity or American pragmatism which encourages no stable traditions of values but what conduces to desired ends, the Yorùbá value system is by far more advanced in being more eco-respecting, eco-friendly and geared toward sustainable human habitation in a world in which he/she constitutes one small fraction of sentience. The essay developed around the responses to the following questions: a) What are values? b) How are values derived? c) Are there Yorùbá values? d) What is the environment? e) How are concepts of the environment derived? f) What is the relationship between values and the environment? g) What is the relationship between Yorùbá values and the environment? h) What are the inferences these have for one-health approach to the environment and sustainable human global co-existence?

The framing of power in communicative planning theory: Analysing the work of John Forester, Patsy Healey and Judith Innes

In this paper, I analyse the framing of power in streams of communicative planning influenced by American pragmatism, sociological institutionalism and alternative dispute resolution. While scholars have heavily debated Habermasian communicative planning theory, the broader conception of power across these linked, but distinct, streams of the theory remains to be explicated. Through analysis of 40 years’ of publishing by John Forester, Patsy Healey and Judith Innes – widely cited representatives of these three streams – a broader account of the treatment of power in communicative planning is established. The analysis shows that the streams of communicative planning provide distinct approaches to power with a joint focus on criticising conflictual illegitimate power over and developing ideas for how consensual power with might arise through agency in the micro practices of planning. Even if communicative planning thereby offers more for reflections on power than critics have acknowledged, the theory still leaves conceptual voids regarding constitutive power to and legitimate power over.

Science for, in and with Society: Pragmatism by Default

To rethink the relation between science and society and its current problems authoritative scholars in the US and Europe, but also around the globe, have since 1980 implicitly and increasingly explicitly gone back to the ideas of American pragmatism. Pragmatism as conceived by its founders Peirce, James and Dewey is known for its distinct philosophy/sociology of science and political theory. They argued that philosophy should not focus on theoretical esoteric problems with hair-splitting abstract debates of no interest to scientists because unrelated to their practice and problems in the real world. In a realistic philosophy of science, they did not accept foundationalism, dismissed the myth of given eternal principles, the unique ‘scientific method’, absolute truths or let alone a unifying theory. They saw science as a plural, thoroughly social activity that has to be directed to real world problems and subsequent interventions and action. ‘Truth’ in their sense was related to the potential and possible impact of the proposition when turned in to action. Knowledge claims were regarded per definition a product of the community of inquirers, fallible and through continuous testing in action were to be improved. Until 1950, this was the most influential intellectual movement in the USA, but with very little impact in Europe. Because of the dominance of the analytic positivistic approach to the philosophy of science, after 1950 it lost it standing. After the demise of analytical philosophy, in the 1980s of the previous century, there was a resurgence of pragmatism led by several so-called new or neo-pragmatists. Influential philosophers like Hillary Putnam and Philip Kitcher coming from the tradition of analytic philosophy have written about their gradual conversion to pragmatism, for which in the early days they were frowned upon by their esteemed colleagues. This new pragmatist movement gained traction first in the US, in particular through works of Bernstein, Toulmin, Rorty, Putnam and Hacking, but also gained influence in Europe, early on though the works of Apel, Habermas and later Latour.

A taxonomy of successful ageing conceptions

The authors propose a taxonomy of successful ageing conceptions organized according to five selected models of successful ageing used in ageing research. The models are rooted—explicitly or implicitly—in philosophical traditions describing a good life. The dominant model in gerontological research, Rowe and Kahn’s model of successful ageing, follows the tradition of American pragmatism, emphasizing practical effects of concepts and ideas. In addition to this model, four additional models of successful ageing are introduced and discussed: hedonic, eudaimonic, capability approach, and care ethics-based, each of them coming from different philosophical schools. The five models are compared according to the following criteria: age relevance, inclusiveness, locus of responsibility, normativity, and measurability. The taxonomy lies the ground for all the arguments that follow in the remainder of the book.

Durkheim and the Philosophy of His Time

Durkheim was trained as a philosopher, taught philosophy, and never left the philosophical field. He started his career with standard philosophical equipment but also with a growing disenchantment about the eclectic and metaphysical mainstream that had survived the establishment of the Third Republic. Philosophy was too general to deal with the growth of scientific invention. Durkheim pursued simultaneously two goals: first, he established a firm demarcation line between philosophy and sociology, guaranteeing the full autonomy of the latter. Second, he benefited from his full membership in the philosophical institution. Rationalism remained his lifetime affiliation. It was largely based on a French version of neo-Kantianism. In the last part of his life, he engaged in a strong discussion with American pragmatism, as a way of clarifying his grasp of social practice.

Neopragmatism as Lebensphilosophie

This article analyzes the modern American pragmatism as “uniform in its diversity” movement of the philosophical thought. The author reveals the differences between neopragmatism and classical pragmatism, the key of which consists in transformation of representation of the American philosophers on the specificity of their discipline, purpose of philosophy, and its role within the system of sciences. The classics, such as C. S. Peirce, J. Dewey, C. I. Lewis, referring to instrumental success and practical orientation of natural science, viewed the contemporary to them technoscience as a model for the philosophical research, while the neopragmatists rely on the cultural studies and hermeneutics. The problems of substantiation of knowledge, verification, logical analysis, scientific experimental proof/disproof of hypotheses, which drew the interest of the classics of pragmatism, are being replaced with the problematic of dialogue, interpretation, and social communication. The associated with it “communological trend” of neopragmatism found drastic reflection in ethnocentrism of R. Rorty. The author highlights the characteristic features and trends in the development of nonclassical pragmatism in the United States and Europe, as well as assesses its current state is assessed. prospects. The conclusion is made on the substantial heuristic potential of pragmatist tradition and possibilities of its effective convergence with other philosophical trends and schools: as “method of settling disputes” (W. James), neopragmatism considering the demand for its ideas and growing popularity among the European philosophers, can make certain contribution to the convergence and mutual enrichment of the Anglo-American analytical and continental philosophy, as well as overcoming the schism between the two intellectual traditions.

Representing the Cosmos and Transforming the Human: The Onto-hermeneutic Visions of Chung-ying Cheng’s The Primary Way: Philosophy of Yijing

The review essay critically evaluates, synoptically presents, and admiringly celebrates Chung-ying Cheng latest work, The Primary Way: Philosophy of Yijing. It sees the book’s publication as an emblem of an intellectual jubilee – a half-centenary of scholarly lucubration and achievement in Chinese and comparative philosophy by Cheng, who was trained at Harvard in American pragmatism and analytic philosophy. The essay reveals why Cheng returns to the Yijing time and again. The principal reason is that this ancient classic, to his way of thinking, offers us “the primary Way,” the anchoring normative criteria, perspectives, and values in a nutshell, whereby reality may be deciphered, discerned, and distinguished. To put it in metaphoric terms, the Yijing is the fount of Chinese philosophy. Whether interpreting Chinese thoughts in general or reading the Yijing in particular, Cheng brings western theoretical perspectives to bear on the understanding of the Chinese texts, which are, in and of themselves, replete with deep philosophical meanings. Cheng appropriates the Yijing for his own primary end, which is to disclose, via his onto-hermeneutic reading, a living, transformative ethico-moral philosophy that is onto-cosmologically alive and onto-generatively fecund: the primary Way. In doing so, he not only offers us innovative scholarship on the ancient classic but also opens up a theoretical and methodological frontier, an onto-hermeneutic one, where Chinese thought and philosophy may be explored anew.

Pragmatism

This chapter offers an account of central issues and themes in feminist philosophical engagements with the uniquely American intellectual tradition often referred to as American pragmatism. After introducing pragmatism, the foundational feminist work and influence of Jane Addams is presented, followed by a discussion of other noteworthy contributors to feminist pragmatism. Significant themes in feminist pragmatism including race and identity, epistemology, care ethics, utopian thinking, and environmentalism are explored. The chapter addresses the extent to which feminist work has changed or entered the mainstream of the American pragmatism, as well as current and future directions of feminist pragmatism. In addition to offering a history of the development of feminist pragmatism, the chapter considers how feminism is a resource for pragmatism and how pragmatism is a resource for feminist philosophy.