Pragmatism and Objectivity illuminates the nature of contemporary pragmatism against the background of Rescher's work, resulting in a stronger grasp of the prospects and promises of this philosophical movement. The central insight of pragmatism is that we must start from where we find ourselves and deflate metaphysical theories of truth in favor of an account that reflects our actual practices of the concept. Pragmatism links truth and rationality to experience, success, and action. While crude versions of pragmatism state that truth is whatever works for a person or a community, Nicholas Rescher has been at the forefront of arguing for a more sophisticated pragmatist position. According to his position, we can illuminate a robust concept of truth by considering its links with inquiry, assertion, belief, and action. His brand of pragmatism is objective and organized around truth and inquiry, rather than other forms of pragmatism that are more subjective and lenient. The contingency and fallibility of knowledge and belief formation does not mean that our beliefs are simply what our community decides, or that truth and objectivity are spurious notions. Rescher offers the best chance of understanding how it is that beliefs can be the products of human inquiry yet aim at the truth nonetheless. The essays in this volume, written by established and up-and-coming scholars of pragmatism, touch on themes related to epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and ethics.

About the Author

Sami Pihlstroem is Director of the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies and Professor of Philosophy of Religion at the University of Helsinki, Finland.

Reviews

"Rescher's masterly corpus is legendary in its scope and volume. This collection focuses on issues prompted by his avowed pragmatism. Philosophers who have long studied and commented on Rescher's work have been asked to share this focus, which results in a welcome avenue to understanding pragmatism, as well as Rescher's system and its unifying themes."-Ernest Sosa, Rutgers University, USA

Book Information
ISBN 9780367595371
Author Sami Pihlstroem
Format Paperback
Page Count 282
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g