Jamess Pragmatism and Platos Sophistes Essay -- Pragmatism Sophistes

Jamess Pragmatism and Platos SophistesABSTRACT In the offset printing chapter of Pragmatism, William James outlines two philosophic tendencys. He argues that though ones temperament modifies ones way of philosophizing, its presence is seldom recognized. This situatement by James led me to Platos Sophistes, especially the relationship between temperament and being. Although Plato describes authoritative temperaments, I hold that the main topic is being. The ancients restricted All to tangible being, e.g., the tangible or the immovable. This reading of the Sophistes puts a different face on the first chapter of Pragmatism. However, if we allow James to speak to present-day philosophers as well as his turn of the century audience, then this reading of the Sophistes will clarify the current philosophical temperament. Neither James nor the contemporary philosopher is satisfied with any restriction on All for this reason, both lack interest in being. Being, once the richest word, no perennial satisfies the philosophers greedy temperament.IntroductionIn the first chapter of Pragmatism (2) William James speaks about a rather unusual aspect of philosophy. He gives an outline of two common temperaments in philosophy. Temperament, he argues, ...is no conventionally recognized reason in philosophy... Yet a professional philosophers temperament really gives him a stronger bias than any of his more strictly premises. ... Yet in the forum he can make no claim, on the bare ground of his temperament, to superior discernment or authority. (3)James argues that, although ones temperament modifies ones way of philosophizing, its presence is seldom recognized. This statement by James prompted me to the reading of part of Pl... ... 1979) (5) The Greek words on and ousia are both translated as real, real being or reality.(6) Not surprisingly, in the Sophistes as in Pragmatism the fight between the temperaments is claimed to be of all times.(7) His name is not mentioned in th e dialogue.(8) cf. Apology 23c, Theaetetus 168a.(9) Cf. 216a-c, 224e-226a, 233a, 249cd, 253a-254b, 259d.(10) Cf. ai)sxu/vh 230d, ai)sxu/nein (247bc)(11) J. Souilh, tude sur le terme I dans les dialogues de Platon (Paris Librairie Flix Alcon, 1919) cf. p. 36, 112, 154 ff..(12) Real being ... is always in the same unchanging state .... (248a)(13) Cf. 258c-259b.(14) W. James, Some Problems of Philosophy A beginning of an Introduction to Philosophy (New York Longmans, Green adn Co., 1924)(15) James (1924), p. 37(16) James (1924), p. 46