Pragmatism - PHL359
The pragmatist tradition is an influential philosophical movement that emerged in the United States of America during the late nineteenth century. The unit explores some of the writings of three classical pragmatists – Charles S. Peirce, William James and John Dewey – along with contemporary pragmatists such as Richard Rorty, Hilary Putnam and Robert Brandom. The unit focuses on pragmatist ideas about truth and objectivity, including James's claim that the true is what it is satisfactory to believe and Peirce's claim that the truth is what we are destined to believe in the long run. As well as looking at James's view that it can be rational for our beliefs to be shaped by non-evidential considerations such as the passions, we shall consider the claim of modern pragmatists that values have a fundamental role in shaping our understanding of the facts.
| Credit Points: | 3 |
| When Offered: | TBD - Not offered in the current year; next offering is to be determined |
| Staff Contact(s): | Dr Albert Atkin |
| Prerequisites: |
(39cp at 100 level or above) or admission to GDipArts |
| Corequisites: | |
| NCCW(s): | PHIL359 |
| Unit Designation(s): | |
| Unit Type: | |
| Assessed As: | Graded |
| Offered By: | Department of Philosophy Faculty of Arts |
Course structures, including unit offerings, are subject to change.
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