[Wittrs] On scientific pragmatism
- From: "iro3isdx" <xznwrjnk-evca@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "To:wittrs"@freelists.org
- Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:50:56 -0000
This is a response to Rajasekhar's recent post
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wittrs/message/2009> in the "brain talk"
thread. We were well off topic for that thread, so I thought it best
to start a new thread.
Rajasekhar wrote:
> William James's version of pragmatic theory, while complex, is often
> summarized by his statement that "the 'true' is only the expedient
> in our way of thinking, just as the 'right' is only the expedient
> in our way of behaving."
I have tried to be clear that I do not agree with traditional
philosophical pragmatism, such as the pragmatism of William James, or
that of John Dewey. In particular, I do not agree with their notion of
truth as utility.
Let's say that I am a scientific pragmatist, rather than a philosophic
pragmatist. I am a pragmatist, in the sense that I seek that which
works. I measure the success of a project by how well it works, not by
whether it is true. I do not reject truth and I do not attempt to
distort truth. However, seeking what works is the primary motivator.
As it happens, it is very useful to have a notion of truth. And it
needs to be more like the traditional notion of truth than that
asserted by pragmatists such as William James.
Regards,
Neil
Other related posts:
- » [Wittrs] On scientific pragmatism - iro3isdx
