Pragmatism Applied : William James and the Challenges of Contemporary Life

Illustrates how William James’s philosophical pragmatism can help to resolve issues in everyday contemporary life. William James, one of America’s most original philosophers and psychologists, was concerned above all with the manner in which philosophy might help people to cope with the vicissitudes of daily life. Writing around the turn of the twentieth century, James experienced firsthand, much as we do now, the impact upon individuals and communities of rapid changes in extant values, technologies, economic realities, and ways of understanding the world. He presented an enormous range of practical recommendations for coping and thriving in such circumstances, arguing consistently that prospects for richer lives and improved communities rested not upon trust in spiritual or material prescriptions, but rather on clear thinking in the cause of action. This volume seeks to demonstrate how James’s astonishingly rich corpus can be used to address contemporary issues and to establish better ways for thinking about the moral and practical challenges of our time. In the first part, James’s theories are applied directly to issues ranging from gun control to disability, and the ethics of livestock farming to the meaning of “progress” in race relations. The second part shows how James’s theories of ethics, experience, and the self can be used to “clear away” theoretical matters that have inhibited philosophy’s deployment to real-world issues. Finally, part three shows how individuals might apply ideas from James in their personal lives, whether at work, contemplating nature, or considering the implications of their own habits of thought and action. Clifford S. Stagoll is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame Australia. Michael P. Levine is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Western Australia. His books include Thinking through Film: Doing Philosophy, Watching Movies (coauthored with Damian Cox). Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: Making Pragmatism Pragmatic Notes References Part 1: Issues: Putting James to Work Chapter 1 Listening to “the Cries of the Wounded”: Jamesian Reflections on the Impasse over Gun Control The Problem and the Political Impasse Jamesian Ethics in Social Inquiry and Reform Listening to “Gun Guys”: Toward a Pragmatic and Democratic Ideal of Consensus Notes References Chapter 2 Revisiting the Social Value of College Breeding Introduction James’s Ideal of Higher Education Higher Learning in America Making Docile Workers, Making Productive Citizens Realizing James’s Ideal, Moving beyond James Notes References Chapter 3 What Makes the Lives of Livestock Significant? James’s Conflicted Views The Possibilities of James’s View References Chapter 4 Significant Lives and Certain Blindness: William James and the Disability Paradox Disability and Well-Being Disability in James’s Experience Adaptive Preferences, Medical Materialism, and Self-Reports Significant Lives: Disability and Well-being The Revelations of Sick Rooms Notes References Chapter 5 Pragmatism and Progress: Has There Been Progress in Race Relations in the United States? Philip Kitcher: Progress and Pragmatism Has There Been Progress in Race Relations in the United States? John Lachs: Progress as Detrimental to the “Active Life” and Meliorism Pragmatism, Meliorism, Hope Notes References Part 2: Theory: Clearing The Way Chapter 6 Applying Jamesian Pragmatism to Moral Life: Against “Applied Ethics” Introduction What Is Applied Ethics (and Applied Philosophy)? Deconstructing the Theory-versus-Practice Dichotomy Monism versus Pluralism—and the Ethical Relevance of Philosophy Jamesian Pragmatism and Wittgensteinian Moral Philosophy: Some Parallels Conclusion Notes References Chapter 7 Understanding Experience with William James I II III Notes References Chapter 8 James and the Minimal Self The Minimal Self and the Narrative Self James’s Analyses of the Self Conclusion Notes References Part 3: Practice: Living With James Chapter 9 William James and the Woods Notes References Chapter 10 Taking James to Work: Pragmatism for Managers Introduction James’s Experiential Pragmatism and Management Resources for Management Practice in James’s Pragmatism Conclusion Notes References Chapter 11 Habits in a World of Change I II III Notes References List of Contributors Index