Versions of William James's doctrine of selectivity
Date
2000
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Texas A&M University
Abstract
My purpose in this thesis is to understand the meaning and implications of William James's contention that thought is inherently selective. To this end, I shall focus first on James's relevant writings. Thought, for James, is guided primarily through interests that are dominantly aesthetic, that is, tied to the body. These interests condition the content of our thought by focusing our attention on some aspects of experience rather than others. The immediate implication of this theory is that thought does not represent experience; rather, it orders experience. John Dewey elaborates and expands James's ideas and I turn to his work next. Noting that philosophy cannot achieve an accurate representation of experience simply because thought is by its nature selective, Dewey offers a way to increase the quality of our everyday experiences by suggesting techniques to render selection more significant and meaningful. Finally, I shall argue that Albert Camus's conception of rebellion is analogous to James's and Dewey's notions of creative thought, thereby casting a final light on the content of James's idea of the selectivity of thought. In a similar vein as Dewey, Camus attempts to provide guidelines for effective and meaningful rebellion. Both Dewey and Camus, then, move philosophy toward a progressive cultural critique. This move away from representation toward cultural criticism l take to be the most significant implication of James's notion of the inherent selectivity of thought.
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Includes bibliographical references (leaf 77).
Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.
Includes bibliographical references (leaf 77).
Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.
Keywords
philosophy., Major philosophy.