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00 Preface - Pragmatism - William James · The Philosophy Insights Collection

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  Pragmatism, a new name for some old ways of thinking, to the memory
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  of John Stuart Mill, from whom I first learned the pragmatic openness of mind,
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  and whom my fancy likes to picture as our leader, were he alive
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  to day. Preface the lectures that follow were delivered at the Lowell Institute in
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  Boston in November and December nineteen hundred and six, and in January nineteen hundred
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  seven at Columbia University in New York. They are printed as delivered, without
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  developments or notes. The pragmatic movement so called. I do not like the
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  name, but apparently it is too late to change. It seems to have
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  rather suddenly precipitated itself out of the air. A number of tendencies that have
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  always existed in philosophy have all at once become conscious of themselves collectively and of
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  their combined mission. And this has occurred in so many countries and from so
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  many different points of view, that much unconcerted statement has resulted. I have
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  sought to unify the picture as it presents itself to my own eyes, dealing
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  in broad strokes and avoiding minute controversy, much futile controversy might have been avoided.
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  I believe if our critics had been willing to wait until we got our
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  message fairly out. If my lectures interest any reader in the general subject,
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  he will doubtless wish to read father. I therefore give him a few references.
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  In America, John Jewis studies in logical theory are the foundation read also
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  by Jewy the articles in the Philosophical Review Volume fifteen, page hundred thirteen and
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  four hundred and sixty five, in Mind volume fifteen, page two hundred ninety
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  three, and in the Journal of Philosophy, Volume four, page one hundred
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  ninety seven. Probably the best statements to begin with, however, are F.
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  C. S. Schillers in his studies in humanism, especially the essays
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  numbered one, five, six, seven, eighteen, and nineteen. His
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  previous essays and in general the polemic literature of the subject are fully referred to
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  in his footnotes. Furthermore, C. G. Milhod Lerachenelle eighteen hundred ninety
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  eight, and the fine articles by LeRoi in the Revi de Metaphysic Volumes seven,
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  eight and nine. Also articles by Blondelle and Dessali in the Annal de
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  Philosophy Catienne, fourth Series, Volumes two and three. Pappinia announces a book
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  on pragmatism in the French language, to be published very soon. To avoid
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  ene misunderstandings, at least, let me say that there is no logical connection
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  between pragmatism as I understand it and a doctrine which I have recently set forth
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  as radical empiricism. The latter stands on its own feet. One may entirely
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  reject it and still be a pragmatist. Harvard University, April nineteen hundred and
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  seven, and of preface