PHIL 578 - Contemp Neo Pragmatism

Institution:

Duquesne University

Subject:

PHIL - Philosophy

Description:

In the wake of the development of classical pragmatism in the writings of Peirce, James, and Dewey, many critics have modified key pragmatic and pragmaticist insights. This course explores both the founding insights that pragmatism draws from German Idialism, particularly from Kant, Hegel, and Heidegger, and then the recent modifications of pragmatism found in the writing of Rorty, Davidson, Brandom, and Habermas. The basic supposition of the course is that neo-pragmatists reject theories that assume verification in terms of some empirical given or mere coherence of beliefs in favor of determination of meaning and truth relative to some kind of holistic structure, either objective or intersubjective in character. Such a holism can be expressed primarily in the framework of a practical theory of action. Specifically, we shall examine the problem of action explanation in Kant and Hegel, the impetus the Heidegger's turn to an existential ontology gave to action theory, and then the attempts of recent thinkers to establish a theory of meaning, belief, and justification without "foundations". What we will investigate are, in the main, truth theories that target assent (Davidson), consent (Habermas), cultural agreement or conversationalism (Rorty) and inhertibility/entitlement (Brandom).

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.duq.edu

Phone Number:

(412) 396-6000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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