PRAGMATISM and ITS IMPLICATIONS: Pragmatism Is A
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
HUMANISM Religious Practices
HUMANISM Religious Practices . Required Daily Observances . Required Weekly Observances . Required Occasional Observances/Holy Days Religious Items . Personal Religious Items . Congregate Religious Items . Searches Requirements for Membership . Requirements (Includes Rites of Conversion) . Total Membership Medical Prohibitions Dietary Standards Burial Rituals . Death . Autopsies . Mourning Practices Sacred Writings Organizational Structure . Headquarters Location . Contact Office/Person History Theology 1 Religious Practices Required Daily Observance No required daily observances. Required Weekly Observance No required weekly observances, but many Humanists find fulfillment in congregating with other Humanists on a weekly basis (especially those who characterize themselves as Religious Humanists) or other regular basis for social and intellectual engagement, discussions, book talks, lectures, and similar activities. Required Occasional Observances No required occasional observances, but some Humanists (especially those who characterize themselves as Religious Humanists) celebrate life-cycle events with baby naming, coming of age, and marriage ceremonies as well as memorial services. Even though there are no required observances, there are several days throughout the calendar year that many Humanists consider holidays. They include (but are not limited to) the following: February 12. Darwin Day: This marks the birthday of Charles Darwin, whose research and findings in the field of biology, particularly his theory of evolution by natural selection, represent a breakthrough in human knowledge that Humanists celebrate. First Thursday in May. National Day of Reason: This day acknowledges the importance of reason, as opposed to blind faith, as the best method for determining valid conclusions. June 21 - Summer Solstice. This day is also known as World Humanist Day and is a celebration of the longest day of the year. -
The Star of the Age of Reason. Voltaire 1694-1778
Camilla Kolstad Danielsen The Star of The Age of Reason. Voltaire 1694-1778 During the 18th century, the French writers, philosophers and scientists were determined to improve the world through reason. Voltaire was the most famous of them all. No other writer was as frequently read and discussed. He was successful with his tragedies and poetry, he disseminated Newton’s philosophy to Europe and he was engaged in individual fates. For us, Voltaire is a symbolic figure, a socially engaged 2013 intellectual writer who fought for freedom of speech and other human rights. Such a Original title: Opplysningens stjerne. Voltaire notion is tinted by our modern viewpoint. But the important position Voltaire NORLA Selection acquired in his time was a result of the independent manner with which he handled his role as writer. FOREIGN RIGHTS This book provides an insight into Voltaire’s extensive and comprehensive authorship HAGEN AGENCY by Eirin Hagen within fiction, history, philosophy and various socially engaged essays. We meet Lindemans gate 3 D Voltaire as both controversial and moderate, radical and conservative, a contentious NO-0267 Oslo Tel: +47 22 46 52 54 man who won many battles, but far from all, and he did his best to fashion his star Mob: +47 93 41 10 56 status within his contemporaries and for future generations. [email protected] www.hagenagency.no English sample translation available Humanist Forlag 2014 231 Pages Praise: “This is a great book, scholastically solid and an exemplary dissemination of research. It is captivating and funny, and at the same time so convincing that I don’t think I have ever read anything better about Voltaire” Ellen Krefting, associate professor at the University of Oslo Camilla Kolstad Danielsen Camilla Kolstad Danielsenhas written articles on the French enlightenment and her PhD thesis about Voltaire’s philosophical narratives, potpourri, as a genre practice in Voltaire’s later philosophical works (2006). -
Descartes' Influence in Shaping the Modern World-View
R ené Descartes (1596-1650) is generally regarded as the “father of modern philosophy.” He stands as one of the most important figures in Western intellectual history. His work in mathematics and his writings on science proved to be foundational for further development in these fields. Our understanding of “scientific method” can be traced back to the work of Francis Bacon and to Descartes’ Discourse on Method. His groundbreaking approach to philosophy in his Meditations on First Philosophy determine the course of subsequent philosophy. The very problems with which much of modern philosophy has been primarily concerned arise only as a consequence of Descartes’thought. Descartes’ philosophy must be understood in the context of his times. The Medieval world was in the process of disintegration. The authoritarianism that had dominated the Medieval period was called into question by the rise of the Protestant revolt and advances in the development of science. Martin Luther’s emphasis that salvation was a matter of “faith” and not “works” undermined papal authority in asserting that each individual has a channel to God. The Copernican revolution undermined the authority of the Catholic Church in directly contradicting the established church doctrine of a geocentric universe. The rise of the sciences directly challenged the Church and seemed to put science and religion in opposition. A mathematician and scientist as well as a devout Catholic, Descartes was concerned primarily with establishing certain foundations for science and philosophy, and yet also with bridging the gap between the “new science” and religion. Descartes’ Influence in Shaping the Modern World-View 1) Descartes’ disbelief in authoritarianism: Descartes’ belief that all individuals possess the “natural light of reason,” the belief that each individual has the capacity for the discovery of truth, undermined Roman Catholic authoritarianism. -
Librarianship and the Philosophy of Information
University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal) Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln July 2005 Librarianship and the Philosophy of Information Ken R. Herold Hamilton College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac Part of the Library and Information Science Commons Herold, Ken R., "Librarianship and the Philosophy of Information" (2005). Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 27. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/27 Library Philosophy and Practice Vol. 3, No. 2 (Spring 2001) (www.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/lppv3n2.htm) ISSN 1522-0222 Librarianship and the Philosophy of Information Ken R. Herold Systems Manager Burke Library Hamilton College Clinton, NY 13323 “My purpose is to tell of bodies which have been transformed into shapes of a different kind.” Ovid, Metamorphoses Part I. Library Philosophy Provocation Information seems to be ubiquitous, diaphanous, a-categorical, discrete, a- dimensional, and knowing. · Ubiquitous. Information is ever-present and pervasive in our technology and beyond in our thinking about the world, appearing to be a generic ‘thing’ arising from all of our contacts with each other and our environment, whether thought of in terms of communication or cognition. For librarians information is a universal concept, at its greatest extent total in content and comprehensive in scope, even though we may not agree that all information is library information. · Diaphanous. Due to its virtuality, the manner in which information has the capacity to make an effect, information is freedom. In many aspects it exhibits a transparent quality, a window-like clarity as between source and patron in an ideal interface or a perfect exchange without bias. -
The Anti-Essentialism Paper
The New Pragmatism, Anti-essentialism, and What is Universal: It’s The Situation All The Way Down C. F. Abel Stephen F. Austin State University [email protected] The New Pragmatism, Anti-essentialism, and What is Universal: It’s The Situation All The Way Down C. F. Abel Stephen F. Austin State University [email protected] A well-known scientist once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the Earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: "What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise." The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, "What is the tortoise standing on?" "You're very clever, young man," said the old lady. "But it's turtles all the way down!" Introduction “New Pragmatism” attacks the very foundation of pragmatic thought by denying that we may ever have any definitive experience. As what we are experiencing is up for grabs, we can never know any situation that we may encounter, and we are left to ground both our knowledge and our values in our language games alone. This paper argues that this set of claims is founded on two errors, one regarding the nature of language games and the other regarding the nature of deconstruction. The “Old Pragmatism,” by way of contrast, is non-essentialist but not anti- essentialist, and it resolves the problem of how we might know “the situation,” given the subjectivity of our observations and the contingencies of our language games, by suggesting that our experiences can be understood as existing in, and constituted by, the totality of their particular instances or modes at the time of inquiry. -
METAPHYSICS and the WORLD CRISIS Victor B
METAPHYSICS AND THE WORLD CRISIS Victor B. Brezik, CSB (The Basilian Teacher, Vol. VI, No. 2, November, 1961) Several years ago on one of his visits to Toronto, M. Jacques Maritain, when he was informed that I was teaching a course in Metaphysics, turned to me and inquired with an obvious mixture of humor and irony indicated by a twinkle in the eyes: “Are there some students here interested in Metaphysics?” The implication was that he himself was finding fewer and fewer university students with such an interest. The full import of M. Maritain’s question did not dawn upon me until later. In fact, only recently did I examine it in a wider context and realize its bearing upon the present world situation. By a series of causes ranging from Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason in the 18th century and the rise of Positive Science in the 19th century, to the influence of Pragmatism, Logical Positivism and an absorbing preoccupation with technology in the 20th century, devotion to metaphysical studies has steadily waned in our universities. The fact that today so few voices are raised to deplore this trend is indicative of the desuetude into which Metaphysics has fallen. Indeed, a new school of philosophers, having come to regard the study of being as an entirely barren field, has chosen to concern itself with an analysis of the meaning of language. (Volume XXXIV of Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association deals with Analytical Philosophy.) Yet, paradoxically, while an increasing number of scholars seem to be losing serious interest in metaphysical studies, the world crisis we are experiencing today appears to be basically a crisis in Metaphysics. -
What Was 'The Enlightenment'? We Hear About It All the Time. It Was A
What Was ‘The Enlightenment’? We hear about it all the time. It was a pivotal point in European history, paving the way for centuries of history afterward, but what was ‘The Enlightenment’? Why is it called ‘The Enlightenment’? Why did the period end? The Enlightenment Period is also referred to as the Age of Reason and the “long 18th century”. It stretched from 1685 to 1815. The period is characterized by thinkers and philosophers throughout Europe and the United States that believed that humanity could be changed and improved through science and reason. Thinkers looked back to the Classical period, and forward to the future, to try and create a trajectory for Europe and America during the 18th century. It was a volatile time marked by art, scientific discoveries, reformation, essays, and poetry. It begun with the American War for Independence and ended with a bang when the French Revolution shook the world, causing many to question whether ideas of egalitarianism and pure reason were at all safe or beneficial for society. Opposing schools of thought, new doctrines and scientific theories, and a belief in the good of humankind would eventually give way the Romantic Period in the 19th century. What is Enlightenment? Philosopher Immanuel Kant asked the self-same question in his essay of the same name. In the end, he came to the conclusion: “Dare to know! Have courage to use your own reason!” This was an immensely radical statement for this time period. Previously, ideas like philosophy, reason, and science – these belonged to the higher social classes, to kings and princes and clergymen. -
What Is a Philosophical Analysis?
JEFFREY C. KING WHAT IS A PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS? (Received 24 January 1996) It is common for philosophers to offer philosophical accounts or analyses, as they are sometimes called, of knowledge, autonomy, representation, (moral) goodness, reference, and even modesty.1 These philosophical analyses raise deep questions. What is it that is being analyzed (i.e. what sorts of things are the objects of analysis)? What sort of thing is the analysis itself (a proposition? sentence?)? Under what conditions is an analysis correct? How can a correct analysis be informative? How, if at all, does the production of philo- sophical analyses differ from what scientists do? The purpose of the present paper is to provide answers to these questions. The traditional answers to the ®rst and last of these questions are that concepts are the objects of philosophical analysis and that philo- sophical analyses differ from the results of scienti®c investigation in being conceptual analyses. Like many philosophers I am suspicious of the notions of concept and conceptual analysis as traditionally understood. Though the critique of these notions is beyond the scope of the present work, the answers I shall give to the questions raised above shall not invoke concepts (understood as things distinct from properties).2 I count it as a virtue of my account that it is able to provide answers to the questions raised above without an appeal to concepts. And to the extent that it has been felt that concepts are needed to answer these questions, the present account weakens the case for positing concepts. Before addressing these questions, however, we shall make the simplifying assumption that analyses are given in a ªcanonical formº. -
Following the Argument Where It Leads
Following The Argument Where It Leads Thomas Kelly Princeton University [email protected] Abstract: Throughout the history of western philosophy, the Socratic injunction to ‘follow the argument where it leads’ has exerted a powerful attraction. But what is it, exactly, to follow the argument where it leads? I explore this intellectual ideal and offer a modest proposal as to how we should understand it. On my proposal, following the argument where it leaves involves a kind of modalized reasonableness. I then consider the relationship between the ideal and common sense or 'Moorean' responses to revisionary philosophical theorizing. 1. Introduction Bertrand Russell devoted the thirteenth chapter of his History of Western Philosophy to the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. He concluded his discussion with a rather unflattering assessment: There is little of the true philosophic spirit in Aquinas. He does not, like the Platonic Socrates, set out to follow wherever the argument may lead. He is not engaged in an inquiry, the result of which it is impossible to know in advance. Before he begins to philosophize, he already knows the truth; it is declared in the Catholic faith. If he can find apparently rational arguments for some parts of the faith, so much the better: If he cannot, he need only fall back on revelation. The finding of arguments for a conclusion given in advance is not philosophy, but special pleading. I cannot, therefore, feel that he deserves to be put on a level with the best philosophers either of Greece or of modern times (1945: 463). The extent to which this is a fair assessment of Aquinas is controversial.1 My purpose in what follows, however, is not to defend Aquinas; nor is it to substantiate the charges that Russell brings against him. -
Age of Enlightenment Overview Students Will Explore the Age of Enlightenment Through a Power Point Presentation and Class Discussion
The Age of Enlightenment Overview Students will explore the Age of Enlightenment through a Power Point presentation and class discussion. Students will then further explore this period of history and its prominent figures by designing a dinner party for 12 Enlightenment thinkers. This project will encourage students to learn more about the period and the philosophers associated with it, as well as synthesize what they have learned while utilizing higher order thinking, group work skills, and creativity. Essential Questions • What was the Age of Enlightenment/Age of Reason and what led to this shift in thought? • Who were the prominent historical figures during the Age of Enlightenment and in what ways were they similar and/or different in their philosophies? • What impact did the Age of Enlightenment have throughout various countries on society, culture, politics, etc.? • How did the Enlightenment philosophers influence American government? Materials • The Age of Enlightenment Power Point, available in the Database of K-12 Resources (in PDF format): https://k12database.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2014/03/EnlightenmentPPT.pdf o To view this PDF as a projectable presentation, save the file, click “View” in the top menu bar of the file, and select “Full Screen Mode” o To request an editable PPT version of this presentation, send a request to [email protected] • Notes for the Age of Enlightenment, handout attached • An Evening of Enlightenment assignment sheet, attached • An Evening of Enlightenment Guest List, attached • Sample Items for Party Planning, attached • Internet, textbooks, library access, and/or other research materials • Optional: Enlightenment Essay Assignment & Rubric, attached Duration • At least one class period for PowerPoint presentation and discussion • Additional class and homework time (teacher’s discretion) will be needed for the completion and presentation of the “An Evening of Enlightenment” project. -
Pragmatic Theory of Truth” by William James
“Pragmatic Theory of Truth” by William James William James, NIH About the author. William James (1842-1910) is perhaps the most widely known of the founders of pragmatism. Historically, his Principles of Psychology was the first unification of psychology as a philosophical science. As a teacher of philosophy, he was a colleague of both Josiah Royce and George Santayana. Once Royce was asked to substitute teach for James in James’ Harvard philosophy class which, at the time, happened to be studying Royce’s text. Supposedly, as Royce picked up James’ copy of his text in the lecture hall, he hesitated briefly, and then noted to the class that James had written in the margin of the day’s reading, “ Damn fool!” About the work. In his Pragmatism,1 William James characterizes truth in terms of usefulness and acceptance. In general, on his view, truth is found by attending to the practical consequences of ideas. To say that truth is mere agreement of ideas with matters of fact, according to James, is incomplete, and to say that truth is captured by coherence is not to dis- tinguish it from a consistent falsity. In a genuine sense, James believes we construct truth in the process of successful living in the world: truth is in 1. William James. Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking. New York: Longman Green and Co., 1907. 1 “Pragmatic Theory of Truth” by William James no sense absolute. Beliefs are considered to be true if and only if they are useful and can be practically applied. -
Epistemology and Philosophy of Science
OUP UNCORRECTED PROOF – FIRSTPROOFS, Wed Apr 06 2016, NEWGEN Chapter 11 Epistemology and Philosophy of Science Otávio Bueno 1 Introduction It is a sad fact of contemporary epistemology and philosophy of science that there is very little substantial interaction between the two fields. Most epistemological theo- ries are developed largely independently of any significant reflection about science, and several philosophical interpretations of science are articulated largely independently of work done in epistemology. There are occasional exceptions, of course. But the general point stands. This is a missed opportunity. Closer interactions between the two fields would be ben- eficial to both. Epistemology would gain from a closer contact with the variety of mech- anisms of knowledge generation that are produced in scientific research, with attention to sources of bias, the challenges associated with securing truly representative samples, and elaborate collective mechanisms to secure the objectivity of scientific knowledge. It would also benefit from close consideration of the variety of methods, procedures, and devices of knowledge acquisition that shape scientific research. Epistemological theories are less idealized and more sensitive to the pluralism and complexities involved in securing knowledge of various features of the world. Thus, philosophy of science would benefit, in turn, from a closer interaction with epistemology, given sophisticated conceptual frameworks elaborated to refine and characterize our understanding of knowledge,