Pragmatism as humanism; the philosophy of William James
Patrick Kiaran Dooley (Author)
xii, 220 pages 23 cm.
9780882291253, 0882291254
979039
Introduction
"Man" in James' psychological thought
James' views on a scientific study of man
Scope of physchology
Methods of psychology
Nature of psychology
An interactionist view of man
Attractiveness of the mind/body parallelism view of man
Reasons for an interactionist view of man
The stream of consciousness
every thought is part of personal consciousness
Consciousness is constantly changing
Consciousness is sensibly continuous
Consciousness deals with objects independent of itself
Consciousness is selective
The selectivity of consciousness according to interests
Sensation and perception of things
Perception of reality: belief
Conception and reasoning
Emotion
Instinct
Voluntary action
"Man" in James' ethical and religious thought
"Man" in James' ethical thought: "the essentials of an ethical universe"
Metaphysical question: the possibility of moral experience
Psychological question: origin and nature of moral ideas
Casuistic question: society, religion, and the individual
"Man" in the religious thought of James
Nature and legitimacy of belief: nature of belief; legitimacy of belief
Effects of religious belief: an examination of the religious propensity in man: primal religious sentiment; conversion: gradual and sudden; effect of conversion: an evaluation of sainthood; mysticism and natural theology as warrants for the unseen world
James; humanistic epistemology and metaphysics
James' pragmatic humanism
James' pragmatic theory of meaning
Pragmatism as a theory of truth: James' theory of truth as a development of his philosophy of man; James' theory of truth as a "humanism"
James' radical empiricism
Radical empiricism: an epistemology of pure experience: reality as pure experience and perceptual knowledge; conceptual knowledge as ministerial to perceptual knowledge; experience and the existence of the self
Radical empiricism: a pluralistic universe: our experience of activity; pluralism vs. monism; a melioristic universe; a finite God
"Humanism" as a unifying theme in James' philosophy
James' theory of man
James' philosophy as a "humanism"
The "whole man" as a guide to inquiry
James' theory of truth as a "humanism"
Human experiences as revelatory of the nature of reality
Philosophy as an articulation of the human perspective
The dignity of man in James' philosophy