Classical American pragmatism: Practicing philosophy as experiencing life

• Authors: Jacquelyn Kegley
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

I argue that Classical American Pragmatists-Royce, James, Dewey, Perice, Addams, Du Bois, and Locke subscribed to this view and practiced philosophy by focusing on experience and directing a critical eye to major problems in living. Thus Royce and Dewey explored the nature of genuine community and its role in developing a flourishing individual life but also a public, democratic life. Royce and James engaged in a phenomenological analysis of human experience including religious experience developing a rich understanding of human psychological, social, and religious development. Dewey, Royce and Perice applied the lessons of the scientific communal experience to problem solving in everyday life. Dewey explored life’s aesthetic dimensions. Addams, Du Bois and Locke applied philosophy to problems of living with discrimination as an immigrant or an African American.

Keywords

EN

experience; religious experience; science; Addams; Du Bois; discrimination; double consciousness

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Human Affairs
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 112-119

Dates

published

2014-01-01

online

2013-12-27

Contributors

author

Jacquelyn Kegley

References

• [1] Addams, J. (1896). A belated industry. American Journal of Sociology, 1(5), 536–550. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/210552[Crossref]
• [2] Addams, J. (1902/2002). Democracy and social ethics. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
• [3] Addams, J. (1909/1972). The spirit of youth and the city streets. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
• [4] Addams, J. (1910/1990). Twenty years of Hull House. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
• [5] Addams, J. (1912). A new conscience and an ancient evil. Chicago: Dodo Press.
• [6] Addams, J. (1916/2002). The long road of woman’s memory. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
• [7] Baldwin, J. (1991). Nobody knows my name: More notes of a native son. Penguin Twentieth Century Classics.
• [8] Du Bois, W.E. B. (1999). The soul of black folks. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
• [9] Dewey, J. (1957/1965). The public and its problems. New York: Henry Holt & Company and Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press.
• [10] Ellison, R. (1952). The invisible man. New York: Random House.
• [11] James, W. (1890/2000). The stream of thought. In J. J. Stuhr (Ed.). Pragmatism and Classic American Philosophy (pp. 161–181). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• [12] James, W. (1971). The essential writings of William James. New York: Harper Torchbooks.
• [13] James, W. (1909/1975). The works of William James - The meaning of truth (Vol. 2). In F. Bowers & I. K. Skrupskelis (Eds.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
• [14] Morrison, T. (1970). The bluest eye. New York: Vintage Books.
• [15] Royce, J. (1892). The spirit of modern philosophy. New York: Houghton-Mifflin.
• [16] Royce, J. (1895). Self-consciousness, social consciousness, and nature. Philosophical Review, 4, 465–485 and 577–602. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2176152[Crossref]
• [17] Royce, J. (1899). The world and the individual. 2 Vols. New York: Macmillan.
• [18] Royce, J. (1908/2005). Provincialism. In J. J. McDermott (Ed.). The basic writings of Josiah Royce (Vol. 2). Logic, loyalty, and community. New York: Fordham University Press.
• [19] Royce, J. (1913/1962). The problem of Christianity. New York: Macmillan Company; Chicago: Henry Regnery Company.
• [20] Royce, J. (1917/2001). Nietzsche. In F. M. Oppenheim (Ed.). Josiah Royce’s late writings (pp. 174–187). Volume I. Bristol, Thoemmes Press.
• [21] Turkle, S. (2011). Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other. New York: Basic Books.

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/s13374-014-0210-4