Henry James and the Philosophy of Literary Pragmatism

This book examines the interdisciplinary foundations of pragmatism from a literary perspective, tracing the characters and settings that populate the narratives of pragmatist thought in Henry James’s work. Cultivated during a postwar era of industrial change and economic growth, pragmatism emerged in the late nineteenth century as the new shape of American intellectual identity. Charles Peirce, William James, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. were close friends who founded different branches of pragmatism while writing on a vast array of topics. Skeptical about philosophy, William James’s brother, Henry, stood at the margins of this group, crafting his own version of pragmatism through his novels and short stories. Gregory Phipps argues that James’s fiction weaves together the varied depictions of individuality, society, experience, and truth found in the works of Peirce, Holmes, and William James. By doing so, James brings to narrative life a defining moment in American intellectual and material history. This Book Examines The Interdisciplinary Foundation Of Pragmatism From A Literary Perspective, Tracing The Characters And Settings That Populate The Narratives Of Pragmatist Thought In Henry Jame's Work. Cultivated During A Postwar Era Of Industrial Change And Economic Growth, Pragmatism Emerged In The Late Nineteenth Century As The New Shape Of American Intellectual Identity.--page [4] Of Cover. Introduction : Henry James And Literary Pragmatism -- A Sort Of Loosely Compacted Person : Charles Peirce's Protagonist And The Institutions Of The American Community -- Milly Theale And The Practical Question Of Life : Anticipating Doubts And Saving Beliefs In The Wings Of The Dove -- Cash Flow, Railways, And Gunshots : For The Good - William James And The Dialectics Of Emotion And Action -- Maggie Verver's Vast Modern Machineries And Facilities : The Art Of Love And The Passion Of Evil In The Golden Bowl -- The Habit Of The Public Mind In The Battlefields And Marketplaces : Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.'s Pragmatic Judge And His Fellow Combatants -- The State Of The Account Between Society And Himself : Hyacinth Robinson's Soldier's Faith In The Princess Casamassima -- Conclusion : The Cast Of Characters In Literary Pragmatism. Gregory Phipps. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction: Henry James and Literary Pragmatism....Pages 1-28 “A Sort of Loosely Compacted Person”: Charles Peirce’s Protagonist and the Institutions of the American Community....Pages 29-65 Milly Theale and “The Practical Question of Life”: Anticipating Doubts and Saving Beliefs in The Wings of the Dove ....Pages 67-93 Cash Flow, Railways, and Gunshots: For the Good—William James and the Dialectics of Emotion and Action....Pages 95-136 Maggie Verver’s “Vast Modern Machineries and Facilities”: The Art of Love and the Passion of Evil in The Golden Bowl ....Pages 137-169 “The Habit of the Public Mind” in the Battlefields and Marketplaces: Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.’s Pragmatic Judge and His Fellow Combatants....Pages 171-198 “The State of the Account Between Society and Himself”: Hyacinth Robinson’s Soldier’s Faith in The Princess Casamassima ....Pages 199-232 Conclusion: The Cast of Characters in Literary Pragmatism....Pages 233-240 Back Matter....Pages 241-261 "This book examines the interdisciplinary foundation of pragmatism from a literary perspective, tracing the characters and settings that populate the narratives of pragmatist thought in Henry James's work. Cultivated during a postwar era of industrial change and economic growth, pragmatism emerged in the late nineteenth century as the new shape of American intellectual identity."--Page 4 of cover