The Two Pragmatisms: From Peirce to Rorty - Softcover

Mounce, Howard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0415152836 ISBN 13: 9780415152839

Publisher: Routledge, 1997

Synopsis

The Two Pragmatisms - From Peirce to Rorty maps the main movements within the pragmatist tradition. Two distinct forms of pragmatism are identified, that of Peirce and that of the `second' pragmatism stemming from James' interpretation of Peirce and seen in the work of Dewey and above all Rorty. Both the influential work of Rorty and the way in which he has transformed contemporary philosophy's understanding of pragmatism are clearly explained.
The Two Pragmatisms - From Peirce to Rorty is essential reading for those interested in the history of this increasingly influential movement, whether first-time philosophers or more advanced readers.

About this title

About the Author

H. O. Mounce lectures in philosophy at the University of Wales, Swansea. He is the author of Wittgenstein’s Tractatus: An Introduction.

From the Back Cover

The Pragmatist tradition in philosophy has, through the work of Richard Rorty, recently achieved a status until now has not been accorded to its founder, Charles Sanders Peirce. Much of Peirce's work and his life has remained hidden and little explored, status instead lying with William James, who is known to have misinterpreted Peirce's work. The Two Pragmatisms: From Peirce to Rorty maps out the changing status and key ideas of the Pragmatist movement explaining the diverging paths of the 'Two Pragmatisms' from Peirce's pioneering work on the theory of signs, to Rorty's seminal writings on the 'mirror of nature'. The Realism of Peirce is contrasted with the anti-Realism that characterises much of the contemporary writing on Pragmatism. The work of Rorty in particular is used to explain the importance of Pragmatism today, in particular through his debt to Dewey, whom he has described as one of the three most important philosophers of the century.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0415152836
• ISBN 13: 9780415152839
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256