What is Cartesian dualism? Discuss Anti-Cartesian foundation of Pragmatism.

What is Cartesian dualism? Discuss Anti-Cartesian foundation of Pragmatism.  Pragmatism is a philosophical movement that includes those who claim that an ideology or proposition is true if it works satisfactorily, that the meaning of a proposition is to be found in the practical consequences of accepting it, and that unpractical ideas are to be rejected. Pragmatism originated in the United States during the latter quarter of the nineteenth century. Although it has significantly influenced non-philosophers notably in the fields of law, education, politics, sociology, psychology, and literary criticism this article deals with it only as a movement within philosophy.

The term “pragmatism” was first used in print to designate a philosophical outlook about a century ago when William James (1842-1910) pressed the word into service during an 1898 address entitled “Philosophical Conceptions and Practical Results,” delivered at the University of California (Berkeley). James scrupulously swore, however, that the term had been coined almost three decades earlier by his compatriot and friend C. S. Peirce (1839-1914). (Peirce, eager to distinguish his doctrines from the views promulgated by James, later relabeled his own position “pragmaticism” a name, he said, “ugly enough to be safe from kidnappers.”) The third major figure in the classical pragmatist pantheon is John Dewey (1859-1952), whose wide-ranging writings had considerable impact on American intellectual life for a half-century. After Dewey,
however, pragmatism lost much of its momentum.

What is Cartesian dualism? Discuss Anti-Cartesian foundation of Pragmatism.  

Cartesian dualism is a philosophical theory named after the French philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650). It asserts that the universe consists of two fundamentally different types of substances: material substance (extended substance) and immaterial substance (thinking substance). The material substance, according to Descartes, is composed of matter and is governed by the laws of physics, whereas the immaterial substance is the mind or soul, which is not subject to physical laws and has free will. Cartesian dualism has been influential in the development of modern Western philosophy, but has also been the subject of much criticism and revision.

Discuss Anti-Cartesian foundation of Pragmatism

Pragmatism is a philosophical movement that developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a response to Cartesian dualism. Pragmatists reject the idea that there are two distinct substances, material and immaterial, and instead argue that all things, including the mind and thoughts, can be understood in terms of their practical effects or consequences. This view is often referred to as “anti-Cartesian” because it denies the foundational assumptions of Cartesian dualism.

According to pragmatists, the mind and body are not separate entities but are closely interconnected and interdependent. Pragmatists argue that knowledge and beliefs are not innate or certain, but are instead shaped by our experiences and the practical consequences they bring about. In other words, pragmatists believe that truth is not an absolute, fixed entity but is instead relative to our experiences and the practical effects they have on us.

What is Cartesian dualism? Discuss Anti-Cartesian foundation of Pragmatism.  In summary, the anti-Cartesian foundation of pragmatism challenges the dualistic view of reality presented by Descartes and instead asserts that the mind and body, as well as knowledge and truth, can be understood in terms of their practical effects and consequences.

Q. 1 Explain Post-Deweyan pragmatism.

Q. 2 What is Classical pragmatism? Give explanation on it.

 

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