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PHL359: Pragmatism
The pragmatist tradition is an influential philosophical movement that emerged in the United States of America during the late 19th 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 |
| Contact Hours: | 3 |
| When Offered: | 2012 - Next offered in 2012 |
| Staff Contact(s): | Associate Professor Nicholas Smith |
| Prerequisites: |
30cp or admission to GDipPhil |
| Corequisites: | |
| NCCW(s): | PHIL359 |
| Unit Designation(s): | |
| Assessed As: | Graded |
| Offered By: | Department of Philosophy |
Timetable Information
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