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Virtue theory, natural law, deontology, utilitarianism,
existentialism: these are the basic moral theories taught in
"Ethics," "History of Philosophy," and "Introduction to Philosophy"
courses throughout the United States. When the American philosopher
William James (1842 - 1910) find his way into these conversations,
there is uncertainty about where his thinking fits. While
utilitarianism has become the default position for teaching James's
pragmatism and radical empiricism, this default position fails to
address and explain James's multiple criticisms of John Stuart
Mill's formulaic approach to questions concerning the moral life.
Through close readings of James's writings, the chapters in William
James, Moral Philosophy, and the Ethical Life catalogue the ways in
which James wants to avoid the following: (a) the hierarchies of
Christian natural law theory, (b) the moral calculus of Mill's
utilitarianism, (c) the absolutism and principle-ism of Immanuel
Kant's deontology, and (d) the staticity of the virtues found in
Aristotle's moral theory. Elaborating upon and clarifying James's
differences from these dominant moral theories is a crucial feature
of this collection. This collection, is not, however, intended to
be wholly negative - that is, only describing to readers what
James's moral theory is not. It seeks to articulate the positive
features of James's ethics and moral reasoning: what does it mean
to an ethical life, and how should we theorize about morality?
Virtue theory, natural law, deontology, utilitarianism,
existentialism: these are the basic moral theories taught in
"Ethics," "History of Philosophy," and "Introduction to Philosophy"
courses throughout the United States. When the American philosopher
William James (1842 - 1910) find his way into these conversations,
there is uncertainty about where his thinking fits. While
utilitarianism has become the default position for teaching James's
pragmatism and radical empiricism, this default position fails to
address and explain James's multiple criticisms of John Stuart
Mill's formulaic approach to questions concerning the moral life.
Through close readings of James's writings, the chapters in William
James, Moral Philosophy, and the Ethical Life catalogue the ways in
which James wants to avoid the following: (a) the hierarchies of
Christian natural law theory, (b) the moral calculus of Mill's
utilitarianism, (c) the absolutism and principle-ism of Immanuel
Kant's deontology, and (d) the staticity of the virtues found in
Aristotle's moral theory. Elaborating upon and clarifying James's
differences from these dominant moral theories is a crucial feature
of this collection. This collection, is not, however, intended to
be wholly negative - that is, only describing to readers what
James's moral theory is not. It seeks to articulate the positive
features of James's ethics and moral reasoning: what does it mean
to an ethical life, and how should we theorize about morality?
Despite there being deep lines of convergence between the
philosophies of Alfred North Whitehead, C. S. Peirce, William
James, John Dewey, and other classical American philosophers, it
remains an open question whether Whitehead is a pragmatist, and
conversation between pragmatists and Whitehead scholars have been
limited. Indeed, it is difficult to find an anthology of classical
American philosophy that includes Whitehead's writings. These camps
began separately, and so they remain. This volume questions the
wisdom of that separation, exploring their connections, both
historical and in application. The essays in this volume embody
original and creative work by leading scholars that not only
furthers the understanding of American philosophy, but seeks to
advance it by working at the intersection of experience and reality
to incite novel and creative thought. This exploration is long
overdue. Specific questions that are addressed are: Is Whitehead a
pragmatist? What contrasts and affinities exist between American
pragmatism and Whitehead's thought? What new questions, strategies,
and critiques emerge by juxtaposing their distinct perspectives?
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