Language and experience for pragmatism

Cheryl Misak

in: Language or experience, European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy 6 (2), 2014.

Abstract

It is sometimes said that contemporary pragmatists place too much emphasis on language and not enough on experience. This objection might hold for the pragmatism of Richard Rorty and his students, but it does not hold for the pragmatism of C. S. Peirce, William James, and John Dewey. I shall argue that we should return to the classical pragmatists and their truth-and-experience position. Indeed, an important insight at the very heart of pragmatism is that language and experience cannot be pulled apart.

Cited authors

James William

Dewey John

Rorty Richard