Darwinism And Pragmatism

Download or read book Darwinism and Pragmatism written by Lucas McGranahan and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-02-24 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection challenges our very sense of belonging in the world. Unlike prior evolutionary theories, Darwinism construes species as mutable historical products of a blind process that serves no inherent purpose. It also represents a distinctly modern kind of fallible science that relies on statistical evidence and is not verifiable by simple laboratory experiments. What are human purpose and knowledge if humanity has no pre-given essence and science itself is our finite and fallible product? According to the Received Image of Darwinism, Darwin’s theory signals the triumph of mechanism and reductionism in all science. On this view, the individual virtually disappears at the intersection of (internal) genes and (external) environment. In contrast, William James creatively employs Darwinian concepts to support his core conviction that both knowledge and reality are in the making, with individuals as active participants. In promoting this Pragmatic Image of Darwinism, McGranahan provides a novel reading of James as a philosopher of self-transformation. Like his contemporary Nietzsche, James is concerned first and foremost with the structure and dynamics of the finite purposive individual. This timely volume is suitable for advanced undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers interested in the fields of history of philosophy, history and philosophy of science, history of psychology, American pragmatism and Darwinism.

Download or read book Darwinism and Pragmatism written by Lucas McGranahan and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2017-02-24 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Focusing on the work of William James (1842–1910), this study looks at Darwinian evolution within the context of a person-oriented philosophy. McGranahan argues for James as an innovator of evolutionary concepts and an early proponent of non-reductionist Darwinism.

Download or read book Darwinism and Pragmatism written by Lucas McGranahan and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-08-31 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection challenges our very sense of belonging in the world. Unlike prior evolutionary theories, Darwinism construes species as mutable historical products of a blind process that serves no inherent purpose. It also represents a distinctly modern kind of fallible science that relies on statistical evidence and is not verifiable by simple laboratory experiments. What are human purpose and knowledge if humanity has no pre-given essence and science itself is our finite and fallible product? According to the Received Image of Darwinism, Darwin's theory signals the triumph of mechanism and reductionism in all science. On this view, the individual virtually disappears at the intersection of (internal) genes and (external) environment. In contrast, William James creatively employs Darwinian concepts to support his core conviction that both knowledge and reality are in the making, with individuals as active participants. In promoting this Pragmatic Image of Darwinism, McGranahan provides a novel reading of James as a philosopher of self-transformation. Like his contemporary Nietzsche, James is concerned first and foremost with the structure and dynamics of the finite purposive individual. This timely volume is suitable for advanced undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers interested in the fields of history of philosophy, history and philosophy of science, history of psychology, American pragmatism and Darwinism. g, with individuals as active participants. In promoting this Pragmatic Image of Darwinism, McGranahan provides a novel reading of James as a philosopher of self-transformation. Like his contemporary Nietzsche, James is concerned first and foremost with the structure and dynamics of the finite purposive individual. This timely volume is suitable for advanced undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers interested in the fields of history of philosophy, history and philosophy of science, history of psychology, American pragmatism and Darwinism.

Download or read book Pragmatism's Evolution written by Trevor Pearce and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2020-10-20 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An important contribution . . . invaluable to anyone interested in the history of pragmatism and the influence of biology and evolution on pragmatic thinkers.” —Richard J. Bernstein, The New School for Social Research, author of The Pragmatic Turn In Pragmatism’s Evolution, Trevor Pearce demonstrates that the philosophical tradition of pragmatism owes an enormous debt to specific biological debates in the late 1800s, especially those concerning the role of the environment in development and evolution. Many are familiar with John Dewey’s 1909 assertion that evolutionary ideas overturned two thousand years of philosophy—but what exactly happened in the fifty years prior to Dewey’s claim? What form did evolutionary ideas take? When and how were they received by American philosophers? Although the various thinkers associated with pragmatism—from Charles Sanders Peirce to Jane Addams and beyond—were towering figures in American intellectual life, few realize the full extent of their engagement with the life sciences. In his analysis, Pearce focuses on a series of debates in biology from 1860 to 1910—from the instincts of honeybees to the inheritance of acquired characteristics—in which the pragmatists were active participants. If we want to understand the pragmatists and their influence, Pearce argues, we need to understand the relationship between pragmatism and biology. “Pragmatism’s Evolution is about the role of evolution, as a theory, in American pragmatism, as well as the early evolution of pragmatism itself.” —Isis “Superb.” —Metascience “[An] important book.” —Acta Biotheoretica “A significant and edifying work.” —Choice “Pearce has done something remarkable and all too rare: written a book at the intersection of philosophy, science, and history that is equally excellent in all three respects.” —International Journal of Philosophical Studies

Download or read book The Influence of Darwin on Philosophy, and other essays in contemporary thought written by John Dewey and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2023-10-27 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Dewey's 'The Influence of Darwin on Philosophy, and other essays in contemporary thought' is a thought-provoking collection of essays that delves into the impact of Darwin's theory of evolution on philosophy and human thought. Dewey's writing style is scholarly and meticulous, drawing connections between Darwin's groundbreaking ideas and their implications for various philosophical concepts. The book provides a valuable insight into the intersection of science and philosophy during the 19th and 20th centuries, making it a significant contribution to the field of intellectual history. Dewey's ability to explore complex ideas with clarity and depth makes this collection a must-read for anyone interested in the evolution of philosophical thought. John Dewey, a prominent American philosopher and educator, was deeply influenced by Darwin's evolutionary theory, which is reflected in his analytical approach to philosophical issues. His expertise in pragmatism and educational theory shines through in this collection, showcasing his unique perspective on the relationship between science and philosophy. I highly recommend 'The Influence of Darwin on Philosophy' to readers who are eager to explore the intellectual currents of the modern age in a nuanced and thoughtful manner.

Download or read book Evolution and the Founders of Pragmatism written by Phillip Wiener and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2016-11-11 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a volume in the Penn Press Anniversary Collection. To mark its 125th anniversary in 2015, the University of Pennsylvania Press rereleased more than 1,100 titles from Penn Press's distinguished backlist from 1899-1999 that had fallen out of print. Spanning an entire century, the Anniversary Collection offers peer-reviewed scholarship in a wide range of subject areas.

Download or read book Evolutionary Pragmatism and Ethics written by Beth L. Eddy and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2015-11-11 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the late nineteenth century, culture critics who were readers of Darwin’s work on evolution pondered what the implications of natural selection might be for human culture, religion and ethics. American pragmatists, by and large, rejected a social Darwinian spin on ethics, economics, and theology in favor of a less determinate humanist version of the ethical implications that emphasized contingency and meliorism. The early arguments between T. H. Huxley and William Sumner over the issues mirrors the contemporary arguments between Stephen Jay Gould and others against “the New Atheists’” determinate interpretation of cultural implications which largely echo the social Darwinists’ position but in the current language of sociobiology. The work of pragmatists such as William James, George Santayana, Jane Addams, and John Dewey detail an evolutionary perspective that rejects the moral implications of social Darwinism.