The Pragmatists

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Should philosophy be the attempt to articulate truth? If you’re a pragmatist, the answer is No. William James wrote of truth as a subset of expediency, and of truth’s 'cash value'. Richard Rorty saw truth—philosophical, moral, even scientific—in terms of contingent 'vocabularies'. At a time when The Washington Post reports that the leader of the free world has made over 3,000 false claims since becoming US President, pragmatic scepticism about truth could be a dangerous luxury.

Period12 Aug 2018

Media contributions

1

Media contributions

  • TitleThe Pragmatists
    Degree of recognitionInternational
    Media name/outletAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
    Media typeRadio
    Duration/Length/Size25 Minutes
    Country/TerritoryAustralia
    Date12/08/18
    DescriptionShould philosophy be the attempt to articulate truth? If you’re a pragmatist, the answer is No. William James wrote of truth as a subset of expediency, and of truth’s 'cash value'. Richard Rorty saw truth—philosophical, moral, even scientific—in terms of contingent 'vocabularies'. At a time when The Washington Post reports that the leader of the free world has made over 3,000 false claims since becoming US President, pragmatic scepticism about truth could be a dangerous luxury.
    URLhttps://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/philosopherszone/albert-atkin/10090818
    PersonsAlbert Atkin
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