Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking book cover

Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking

William James · English text · 52,364 words

William James presents pragmatism as a method for clarifying philosophical disagreements by examining the practical consequences of competing ideas.

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Background

Based on lectures, the book introduces a movement that sought to connect abstract thought with lived experience and testable differences.

Reading notes

  • Look for the practical difference each dispute makes.
  • Distinguish James’s method from the claim that any convenient belief is true.
  • Track the examples used to connect ideas with experience.