Pragmatism+Discussion

=MAKERS OF AMERICA: THE EARLY PRAGMATISTS= [|Video: The American Pragmatists]

=Definition= from Merriam-Webster.com
 * an American movement in philosophy founded by C. S. Peirce and William James and marked by the doctrines that the meaning of conceptions is to be sought in their practical bearings, that the function of thought is to guide action, and that truth is preeminently to be tested by the practical consequences of belief

Questions for Class Discussion

 * Assess the validity of the following quote, “pragmatism offers … a philosophy of life built on experimentation, ethical commitment, and open-ended democratic debate.”
 * Why is pragmatism considered the quintessential American philosophy? Do you agree with that assessment? Why or why not?
 * Historically speaking what was so appealing about pragmatism and what was so repugnant about pragmatism. Does this philosophical worldview have anything to offer twenty-first century Americans?