Toward Pragmatist Philosophy Humanitiehb: Toward a Pragmatist Philosophy of the Humanities

"Develops a pragmatist approach to the philosophy of the humanities, interpreting history, literature, and religion in terms of pragmatic realism"-- Provided by publisher Contents Preface 1. Introduction: Why This Book? Why Study the Philosophy of the Humanities? The Philosophy of the Humanities Today Why Study the Philosophy of the Humanities from a Pragmatist Perspective? A Methodological Remark The Structure of the Book 2. Realism, Practices, and Inquiry: What Is Pragmatist Philosophy of the Humanities? Kantian Pragmatism The Pragmatic Maxim and the Theory of Inquiry Pragmatism and Realism How (Not) to Understand the History of Pragmatist Philosophy of Science and Inquiry Instrumentalism and Operationalism in James and Dewey Quine’s “More Thorough Pragmatism”? Paradigms and Reality: Kuhn, Putnam, and Pragmatic Realism Pragmatic Naturalism and the Practices of Inquiry Pragmatism, Realism, and Naturalism (Again) 3. Developing Pragmatist Philosophy of Literary Theory, Historiography, and Religious Studies Selected Pragmatist Themes in the Philosophy of the Humanities Three (Plus One) Case Study Areas Philosophy of Literary Theory and Criticism Philosophy of Historiography Philosophy of Theology and Religious Studies Metaphilosophy (and the History of Pragmatism Again) Some Research Questions and Hypotheses “Real Generals” Holistic Pragmatism 4. Pragmatic Naturalism and Transcendental Arguments in the Philosophy of the Humanities The “Natural Ontological Attitude” Seeking a Truly Natural Attitude Enriching Naturalism: Transcendental Arguments and the Humanities Transcendental Arguments and Realism Another Case Study: Transcendental Arguments in the Philosophy of Religious Studies Why Transcendental? 5. Conclusion: The Values and Limits of the Humanities Final Thoughts on Pragmatic Realism Inhumanity, or Representing the Nonrepresentable Motivation and Duty Notes References Index Humanist scholars often feel the need to defend the humanities. The value of humanistic research is sometimes challenged, as the cultural'reality'investigated by disciplines such as history, literary studies, and theology may seem unclearIn particular, the ontology of the humanities might be considered obscure in comparison to the ontology of the natural sciences. Toward a Pragmatist Philosophy of the Humanities proposes to develop a comprehensive philosophical account of the humanities, focusing on the ontology and epistemology of humanistic inquiry from the standpoint of pragmatism. Sami Pihlström argues that humanistic cognitive pursuits can be interpreted along the lines of a pragmatist theory of inquiry, defending pragmatic realism about the humanities. However, far from leading to any reductive naturalization of the human world, the pragmatist philosophy of the humanities defended by Pihlström takes a distinctively Kantian critical turn in emphasizing the need for transcendental argumentation in the philosophy of the humanities, insisting on the irreducibly ethical dimensions of humanistic scholarship. Humanist scholars often feel the need to defend the humanities. The value of humanistic research is sometimes challenged, as the cultural "reality" investigated by disciplines such as history, literary studies, and theology may seem unclearIn particular, the ontology of the humanities might be considered obscure in comparison to the ontology of the natural sciences. Toward a Pragmatist Philosophy of the Humanities proposes to develop a comprehensive philosophical account of the humanities, focusing on the ontology and epistemology of humanistic inquiry from the standpoint of pragmatism. Sami Pihlstrm argues that humanistic cognitive pursuits can be interpreted along the lines of a pragmatist theory of inquiry, defending pragmatic realism about the humanities. However, far from leading to any reductive naturalization of the human world, the pragmatist philosophy of the humanities defended by Pihlstrm takes a distinctively Kantian critical turn in emphasizing the need for transcendental argumentation in the philosophy of the humanities, insisting on the irreducibly ethical dimensions of humanistic scholarship.