University of South Florida	Professor J. P. Anton
Department of Philosophy	FAO 215 Tel: 813 974 3670
PHH 4700.001 American Philosophy	hanton1@tampabay.rr.com
PHH 6938.001 Seminar in History of Philosophy Tuesday 3:00-6:00 FAO 248	Office Hours: Tuesday 1:00-2:30 and by appointment

American Philosophy

Seminar in the History of Philosophy

With an emphasis on the Metaphysics of American Naturalism

I. Course Description:

This seminar will deal with the following: (a) The classical and modern issues to understand the ways in which the philosophical themes and problems that provided the background against which American philosophers toward the end of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth formulated their own ideas and methods. (b) The development of the movement known as American Naturalism and American Pragmatism as a new way of understanding the problems of metaphysics in order to effect a solution to the problem of knowledge in response to the alternatives that post-Kantian epistemologies of the "continental" variety had been offering as a way out of the "Egocentric Predicament."

The relation of traditional metaphysics to the contemporary scene will be examined, and with an emphasis on the confusion that has persisted in this area of philosophical discourse. During the early meetings of the seminar there will be discussion on the problem of terminology and the multiple meanings of the term 'metaphysics' and why the set of problems this branch of philosophy has sought to solve changed in the course of the history of Western philosophy. Pertinent to the discussion is also the difference between metaphysics and ontology, on the one hand, and metaphysics and epistemology, on the other.

The latter is crucial to the understanding of the way in which the main representatives of American Naturalism (Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, George Santayana, John Dewey, Frederick Woodbridge, A. N. Whitehead, e.a.) conceived of the relationship between epistemology, metaphysics and ethical theory.

*II. Texts and Sources:

Required:

Smith, John E. The Spirit of American Philosophy. Oxford, Galaxy Book (any edition)=S

Fisch, Max H., Classic American Philosophers. Fordham Univ. Press [P]=F

Recommended:

Stroh, G. W. American Philosophy: From Edwards to Dewey. Van Nostrand

Schneider H. A History of American Philosophy, Columbia Univ. Press

Thayer, H. S.,ed. Pragmatism, the Classic Writings. Hackett

Rorty, R. The Consequences of Pragmatism. University of Minnesota, 1982.

Extensive bibliographies in Thayer, Stroh and Schneider, and with Guide to further readings in Stroh. Further readings on American Philosophy in Fisch,”Appendix”

*See addendum to syllabus for additional information.

III. Course Requirements: Attendance, two short papers and a term paper.

Attendance and participation in class discussion. For graduate credit a term paper 15-18 pages plus notes and bibliography. The paper must conform to the following format: (i) Title page with full information; (ii) Table of contents page; (iii) Main exposition according to the outline as stated in the Table of Contents; this part consists of a statement of the problem to be treated, analysis of the argument and commentary, critical response to the issues under examination, and conclusion. Papers are due on the date of the last meeting.

IV. Meetings and Assignments:

Week 1. Jan. 6 Introduction

Week 2. Jan 13 Background and Antecedents: the Rise of American Naturalism

Assignment: Fisch “General Introduction”

Week 3. Jan 20 Charles Sanders Peirce

Assignments: Fisch Ch. I; Smith Ch. 1

Week 4. Jan 27 Charles Sanders Peirce

Assignments: Fisch Ch. I; Smith Ch. 1

Week 5. Feb 3 William James

Assignments: Fisch Ch. II; Smith Ch. 2

Week 6. Feb 10 William James

Assignments: Fisch Ch. II; Smith Ch. 2

Week 7. Feb 17 F. Woodbridge

Assignments: Anton, Chapter in forthcoming book.

Week 8. Feb 24 George. Santayana

Assignment: Fisch Ch. IV

Week 9. Mar 2 George. Santayana

Assignment: Fisch Ch. IV

Week 10. Mar 9 SPRING BREAK

Week 11. Mar 16 John Dewey

Assignments: Fisch Ch. V; Smith Ch. 4.

Week 12. Mar 23 John Dewey

Assignments: Fisch Ch. V; Smith Ch. 4.

Week 13. Mar 30 John Dewey, Alfred North Whitehead

Assignments: Fisch Ch. VI; Smith Ch. 5

Week 14. Apr 6 Alfred North Whitehead

Assignments: Fisch Ch. VI; Smith Ch. 5

Week 15. Apr 13 John Herman Randall, Jr. ; Ernest Nagel

Assignments: Anton, Chapters in forthcoming book.

Week 16. Apr 20 The Aftermath of the Pragmatic Movement-Rorty’s criticism

Assignment: Rorty’s “Introduction” in Consequences of Pragmatism (1982)

Last meeting. Term papers due.

Addendum: Text and Sources

Required:

Smith, John E. The Spirit of American Philosophy. Oxford, Galaxy Book (any edition)=S