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Pragmatism: An Open Question

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Everyone knows the basic thing about truth, that if x is true about x, then y cannot be true of x in so far as the truth of x is concerned. That statement can be discerned easily in most scientific and verifiable truths but not all truths are subject to verification - such as God exists. Pragmatism is a philosophy that extends into many fields of inquiry. Putnam in this book, which is a collection of a series of his lectures deals with the truth as pragmatists have approached it. Putnam, himself, not a pragmatist philosopher, expresses a clear understanding of what the pragmatist approach to truth is. His lectures were exemplary in their clarity but were not meant for the uninitiated. It is a short book and the uninitiated reader may find it helpful to read "Pragmatism - A Guide for the Perplexed" by Robert Talisse first. The advanced reader will enjoy Putnam's dissection and analysis of the differences and errors made by some pragmatist philosophers. He covers a wide range of such philosophers from Kant to Wittgenstein (although some do not regard Wittgenstein as a pragmatist philosopher), and the acknowledged pragmatists like Dewy, Peirce, and Rorty. He explains why pragmatism has taken a leap forward when it transcends the old philosophy in which truth is seen in the dualistic forms, eg, fact and value; and sees the truth as a comingling of them.