2022/07/01 by Serge Grigoriev
Arts and Humanities · #Philosophy and History of Science #Pragmatism in Philosophy and Education #Wittgensteinian philosophy and applications
paper · doi:10.1111/meta.12575
openalex publication_date 2022/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Abstract Currently, one of the most important points of contention in defining contemporary pragmatistm arises from the challenge posed to pragmatism's traditional naturalist orientation by Robert Brandom's rationalist pragmatism . This paper compares the two positions, suggesting that the argument between them revolves around the role of language (rather than experience, as is frequently asserted)—more specifically, around the role of systematicity and formal analysis in our conceptions of rational inquiry and discourse. The paper suggests that Brandom's approach may be more suited to a retrospective integration and assessment of the rational learning processes, as opposed to the anticipation of their prospective dimension usually emphasized by the naturalist pragmatism; moreover, that it seems most appropriate in learning contexts that depend on the continued transmission of epistemic authority open to rational correction, and may not be suited for the conceptualization of the less formally structured domains of discourse.