Pragmatism As A Individualist: Intellectualism And Individualism

On another note, the pragmatist attempt to avoid intellectualism and individualism by referring to the everyday human and social context as important in the evaluation of opinions has been considered as an attempt to make philosophy humanist (or anthropological), democratic and socially utilitarian. Critics argue that the truth cannot be that which is beneficial to the greater number or that which is maximally beneficial to the greater number. They argue that this is dangerous as it denies philosophical conclusions the objective quality it should possess and makes them (philosophical conclusions) the arbitrary prerogative of individuals or the society, and therefore relative . Critics argue that such recourse to the social or the community , individual or relative efficacy is a form of denial of absolutes or objective standards which ultimately affects ethical considerations. This criticism is also seen in the ecclesiastical quarters. According to John Paul II, pragmatism is a dangerous attitude of mind which,

In making its choices, precludes theoretical considerations [… It consequently supports] a concept of democracy which is not grounded upon any reference to unchanging values: whether or not a line of action is admissible is decided by the vote of a parliamentary

And to free himself from them he aligns his pragmatism to its origins in Charles Sanders Peirce. For Rescher Peirce’s account of pragmatism offers us a more robust tool for explanation and inquiry (or the process of knowledge) on a large-scale, and it seeks practical results that are universal and objective standards of verification of ideas or beliefs. For Rescher therefore though James saw to the popularization of pragmatism, he equally led to the distortion of the meaning of the theory. Cheryl Misak also makes the same case for a return to the Peircian sense of pragmatism to save pragmatism from criticisms