# American Pragmatism, question? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 7, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pragmatism-question/742431 "2016-01-07T19:37:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thanatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@thanatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thanatic)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pragmatism-question/742431/1 "2016-01-07T19:37:10Z")
i been interested in learning more about American Pragmatism (Peirce, James, Dewey) but one thing i want to know before i get into it, is this considered a fringe philosophy like Randian Objectivism or do scholars and philosophers take it seriously ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pragmatism-question/742431/2 "2016-01-08T19:10:42Z")
Well, Dewey invented a decimal system for cataloging books. That was so pragmatic that it became ubiquitous. I have never heard a philosopher or scholar makes jokes about it, so I presume they take it seriously. Fringe philosophies, by the way, would likely be found in the 149 section, Other Philosophical Systems and Doctrines. ---
**Author:** ![Graymalkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@Graymalkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graymalkin)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pragmatism-question/742431/3 "2016-01-09T03:29:39Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Well, Dewey invented a decimal system for cataloging books. That was so pragmatic that it became ubiquitous. I have never heard a philosopher or scholar makes jokes about it, so I presume they take it seriously. Fringe philosophies, by the way, would likely be found in the 149 section, Other Philosophical Systems and Doctrines. You have to be kidding me. Entirely different Deweys. To answer the OP, yes, American pragmatism was, and is, taken quite seriously. it had a resurgence a decade or two ago in academia. i recommend you read Richard Rorty, who died only several years ago I think, and whose books are quite accessible to the non-specialist reader. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pragmatism-question/742431/4 "2016-01-11T14:16:50Z")
> [@Graymalkin](#): > > You have to be kidding me. Entirely different Deweys. > To answer the OP, yes, American pragmatism was, and is, taken quite seriously. it had a resurgence a decade or two ago in academia. i recommend you read Richard Rorty, who died only several years ago I think, and whose books are quite accessible to the non-specialist reader. You may want to have your whoosh meter recalibrated. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pragmatism-question/742431/5 "2016-01-11T14:27:33Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > You may want to have your whoosh meter recalibrated. I thought _probably_ you were joking, but wasn’t sure that you weren’t just ignorant of what the OP was talking about. In GQ we have a rule to hold off on the joke answers until a serious attempt has been made at answering the OP’s question, especially joke answers that not everyone can tell are jokes. This isn’t GQ, but still… ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pragmatism-question/742431/6 "2016-01-12T14:07:17Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I thought _probably_ you were joking, but wasn’t sure that you weren’t just ignorant of what the OP was talking about. In GQ we have a rule to hold off on the joke answers until a serious attempt has been made at answering the OP’s question, especially joke answers that not everyone can tell are jokes. This isn’t GQ, but still… The thread was at the bottom of the page with no response. I thought even a joking bump may help get an answer. That is all. As you said, this ain’t GQ.