Pragmatism
Across eight lectures given in 1906 and 1907, James lays out the method that made him famous: judge an idea by its practical consequences, by what difference it makes in actual experience. He opens by dividing thinkers into the tough-minded and the tender-minded, then offers pragmatism as a way to ease that old quarrel between hard fact and human meaning. Truth, on his account, is not a static mirror of reality but something that happens to an idea as it proves useful and workable. Written with warmth and plain talk, the book turned a technical philosophy into public conversation. This free PDF and EPUB edition presents the founding text of American pragmatism.
About the Author
William James (1842-1910) was an American philosopher and psychologist, a founder of pragmatism and modern psychology, whose vivid, accessible writing made him one of America’s most influential thinkers.
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Listen to Pragmatism Audiobook Free
Listen to Pragmatism by William James free online. The full audiobook (6 hr 33 min, 17 chapters, read by Fredrik Karlsson) streams free on this page.
Pragmatism (1907) is a public domain work.
| # | Chapter | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Preface | 3:41 | |
| 2 | Lecture 1: The Present Dilemma in Philosophy, part 1 | 27:02 | |
| 3 | Lecture 1: The Present Dilemma in Philosophy, part 2 | 26:39 | |
| 4 | Lecture 2: What Pragmatism Means, part 1 | 28:43 | |
| 5 | Lecture 2: What Pragmatism Means, part 2 | 24:23 | |
| 6 | Lecture 3: Some Metaphysical Problems Pragmatically Considered, part 1 | 25:09 | |
| 7 | Lecture 3: Some Metaphysical Problems Pragmatically Considered, part 2 | 27:36 | |
| 8 | Lecture 4: The One and the Many, part 1 | 25:30 | |
| 9 | Lecture 4: The One and the Many, part 2 | 23:34 | |
| 10 | Lecture 5: Pragmatism and Common Sense, part 1 | 18:34 | |
| 11 | Lecture 5: Pragmatism and Common Sense, part 2 | 22:03 | |
| 12 | Lecture 6: Pragmatism's Conception of Truth. part 1 | 27:20 | |
| 13 | Lecture 6: Pragmatism's Conception of Truth. part 2 | 29:21 | |
| 14 | Lecture 7: Pragmatism and Humanism, part 1 | 22:03 | |
| 15 | Lecture 7: Pragmatism and Humanism, part 2 | 22:10 | |
| 16 | Lecture 8: Pragmatism and Religion, part 1 | 18:56 | |
| 17 | Lecture 8: Pragmatism and Religion, part 2 | 20:07 |
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