Existentialism and Pragmatism

Paper Summary:

This paper compares existentialism to pragmatism, noting that existentialism is rooted in Europe and pragmatism is rooted in America. The paper relates that existentialism declares as its first principle that existence is prior to essence whereas pragmatism is a form of philosophical idealism and has a strong sense of reproach for rationalism and intellectualism. The paper also discusses that both philosophies agree that the existence of mankind and his life is more than theory and both use scientific methods to find meanings for mankind. Futhermore, when investigating the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge both philosophies agree in common-sense realisms.

From the Paper:

"The rise and growth of existentialist thought corresponds to the rise and spread of cultural crises in the West. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries philosophy was one aspect of culture, and existentialism gradually became a reaction to several aspects of culture, for example, crisis in human identity, politics and society, knowledge and truth, science, technology, the arts, and religion. The existential response to moral crises corresponds to the decline in traditional values and established religion. Nietzsche's proclamation of the death of God and his indictment of Christian morals as a slave morality sustained by the false virtues of self-denial, humility, passivity, repudiation of the flesh and all those motives conducive to weakness of character."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Gould, James A. Existentialist Philosophy. Encino, California: Dickenson Publishing Company, 1973.
• Grimsley, Ronald. Existentialist Thought. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1960.
• James, William. Pragmatism. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1975.
• Wells, Harry. Pragmatism. Freeport, New York. Books For Libraries Press, 1971.

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