Philosophy 170: Great Philosophers
The American Pragmatists: Peirce, James, and Dewey

Paper Assignments

General Remarks

Papers should be at least five pages long and should be typed (or printed from a wordprocessor) double-spaced with adequate (but not excessive) margins for written comments. Please read my general discussion on writing philosophy papers.

Papers are intended to be critical discussions. Each paper topic "suggests" relevant portions of texts (including outside texts). Part of the assignment is explaining and clarifying the texts read; however, an equal part of the assignment is presentation of your own critical thinking about the same issues.

The due dates are all Wednesdays but I will accept papers until 5:00 PM on the following Friday.

Paper #1 -- Due on Wednesday, February 23rd -- Peirce or James

(Write on one of the topics suggested below or have me approve a topic of your own)

(A) Describe and discuss Peirce's concept of scientific method. How does this method relate to Peirce's concept of human experience, thought, and logic?

(B) Peirce considered himself a "realist" though his other views run very close to Kantian Idealism. In fact, he called himself an "objective idealist." Explain.

(C) Describe James' conception of "Pragmatism" and relate it critically to Peirce's thought. You might focus on the fact that Pragmatism aims at eliminating unnecessary metaphysical distinctions, but also address the issue of whether James "understood" Peirce's idea.

(D) Considering the fact that there was increasing tension between science and religion throughout the 19th Century, compare and contrast the ways in which James and Peirce handled the case of religion.

Paper #2 -- Due on Wednesday, April 5th -- early work of Dewey

(Write on one of the topics suggested below or have me approve a topic of your own)

(A) Select a topic of interest drawn from one of the first three Dewey readings. Develop this topic as a philosophical issue, identifying and defining the topic, discussing the way(s) Dewey handles it, and suggesting your critical thoughts about both the topic and Dewey's treatment of it.

(B) While Dewey is ranked with the Pragmatists, he rarely (if ever) refers to Pragmatism. Discuss the relation of Dewey's philosophical methods to those of Peirce and James, either defending or denying ranking him as a Pragmatist. Be sure to use specific examples from the works read.

Term Paper -- Due on Wednesday, May 10th, no later than 5:00 PM. (Senior papers are due on Friday, May 5th, no later than 5:00 PM.)

This paper is to be somewhat longer (e.g., about 8-10 pages) and more comprehensive. While this paper should emphasize John Dewey, it should attempt to integrate and comprehend the course as a whole. This paper may profitably demonstrate some reading beyond the assigned texts, and it should contain a bibliography and use in-line references, footnotes, or endnotes. (For seminar credit in this course, the term paper must use at least 3-5 external sources and represent 10-12 pages of text.) Please read or reread my essay on writing philosophy papers as well as my essay on "standards for research papers" .

Updated on April 18, 2000; Click here to return to Course HomePage