Pragmatism

Pragmaticism ( English pragmaticism ) is the name that Charles S. Peirce used for his philosophy from around 1905.

As the founder of pragmatism , Peirce wanted to distance himself from the content that was subsumed under the concept of pragmatism over the course of time. Above all, he turned against the relativistic philosophy of utility , which was taught by many pragmatists as the basic principle of truth with pragmatism (for example, truth as "cash value" by William James ). Its use as a catchphrase led to the term “being misused in the most ungrateful way that words have to expect when they fall into the clutches of writers. "(CP 5.414). Ironically, Peirce explained that he had made up his mind " to kiss his child goodbye and leave him to a higher purpose, while for the precise purpose of expressing the original definition, he asks to note the birth of the word 'pragmatism', that is repulsive enough to be safe from kidnappers ”.

In a letter he justified the distinction that under pragmatism now the philosophy of Schiller , James, Dewey , Royce and others should be understood. The teaching he introduced, the original form of pragmatism, should now be called pragmaticism. The meaning is identified more precisely by the additional syllable.

The labeling of his philosophy with the pragmatic maxim remained unchanged even after the name change:

Pragmaticism was originally described in the form of the following maxim: Consider what effects, which could conceivably have practical meaning, you ascribe to the object of your term. Then your concept of these effects is the whole scope of your concept of the object.

literature

Peirce, CS, Collected Papers of Charles Sanders Peirce, Vols. 1-6, Charles Hartshorne and Paul Weiss (eds.), Vols. 7-8, Arthur W. Burks (ed.), Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1931-1935, 1958. Cited as CP nm for volume n, section m.
see also the list of scriptures in the main article

Remarks

↑ "Ugly enough to be safe from kidnappers", What Pragmaticism is, CP 5.414
↑ I proposed that the word "pragmatism" should hereafter be used somewhat loosely to signify affiliation with Schiller, James, Dewey, Royce, and the rest of us, while the particular doctrine which I invented the word to denote, which is your first kind of pragmatism should be called "pragmaticism". The extra syllable will indicate the narrower meaning. (Letter to Calderoni, CP 8.205)
↑ Pragmaticism was originally enounced in the form of a maxim, as follows: Consider what effects that might conceivably have practical bearings you conceive the objects of your conception to have. Then, your conception of those effects is the whole of your conception of the object (Issues of Pragmaticism, CP 5.438).

[1] "Ugly enough to be safe from kidnappers", What Pragmaticism is, CP 5.414

[2] I proposed that the word "pragmatism" should hereafter be used somewhat loosely to signify affiliation with Schiller, James, Dewey, Royce, and the rest of us, while the particular doctrine which I invented the word to denote, which is your first kind of pragmatism should be called "pragmaticism". The extra syllable will indicate the narrower meaning. (Letter to Calderoni, CP 8.205)

[3] Pragmaticism was originally enounced in the form of a maxim, as follows: Consider what effects that might conceivably have practical bearings you conceive the objects of your conception to have. Then, your conception of those effects is the whole of your conception of the object (Issues of Pragmaticism, CP 5.438).