P448 Seminar in American Philosophy: Pragmatism

(Spring 1999. Thursday 5:45-8:25 p.m., CA 223)

Course Description: At the end of the 19th century the most exciting new way of thinking was pragmatism, America's greatest contribution to world philosophy. In this century, especially in Chicago, pragmatism came to be associated with a liberal social philosophy strongly linked to the ideal of democracy and general education. Now, at the end of the 20th century, pragmatism has again become a focus of great interest and debate throughout the world. In this course we will examine what pragmatism was in its formative years and what it has become; then after studying some conflicting views of well-known pragmatists we will consider what pragmatism might become.

Texts:

	1. Pragmatism: a Reader, ed. Louis Menand, Vintage
        	Books (1997). 
        
	2. Course packet of readings. 

Recommended but not required. 

	3. Community Denied: the Wrong Turn of Pragmatic
		Liberalism, James Hoopes, Cornell University Press (1998). 

Requirements:

Mid-term exam (30%)

Class participation (30%)

Research paper (final) (40%)

Class Meetings (Subject to Change):

1. 14 January, Introduction and survey of course.
2. 21 January, Discuss Menand and Thayer Introductions.
3. 28 January, Discuss Peirce section.
4. 4 February, Discuss James section.
5. 11 February, Discuss Holmes section.
6. 18 February, Begin discussion of Dewey section. Will hand out mid-term (take-home) exam.
7. 25 February, Finish discussion of Dewey section and discuss Addams section.
8. 4 March, Discuss Mead section and have general discussion of The First Generation.
9. 11 March, Discuss Rorty section. Mid-term exams due.
10. 18 March, Spring Break: NO CLASS.
11. 25 March, Discuss Putnam section and section on Knapp and Michaels.
12. 1 April, Discuss section on Bernstein and West.
13. 8 April, Discuss section on Posner and Poirier.
14. 15 April, Discuss section on Appleby, Hunt, and Jacob and have general discussion on The Second Generation.
15. 22 April, Discuss Susan Haack's review of Menand and her Peirce-Rorty dialog.
16. 29 April, Discuss Hoope's “Wrong Turn”
17. 6 May, Research paper due in lieu of final exam.

Note: All IUPUI policies, including those on plagiarism, apply in this course.

For a list of primary and secondary sources see Menand's bibliography, pp. 469-74. More recent sources will be added from time to time.

The following web sites may be helpful:

Dewey Center

Santayana Edition

Peirce Edition

Peirce Telecommunity

The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy