Pragmatism
"On the
pragmatic view I am putting forward, what we call
"increased knowledge" should not be thought of as increased
access to the Real, but as increased ability to do things
-- to take part in social practices that make possible
richer and fuller human lives."
-Richard Rorty, from Philosophy
as Cultural Politics
Pragmatism
as embraced by Pragmatic Buddhism includes classical
American pragmatism and neopragmatism. These two branches
of the pragmatic perspective share an equal emphasis with
our embracement of traditional Buddhism in the thought and
practice at CPB. American pragmatism is a system of
philosophy that values practical application and function
over theory as a way to solve human problems. It stems
directly from great thinkers such as William James, Charles
Peirce, John Dewey, Charles Horton Cooley, A. N. Whitehead
and George Herbert Mead.
Neopragmatism is most commonly associated with the late
Richard Rorty, an internationally recognized philosopher,
whose work emphasized the social and creative aspects of
language. Neopragmatism rest on the idea of
antifoundationalism, the idea that there is no privileged
vocabulary or way of speaking or believing. Language is
purely relational and does not "mirror" nature, or escape
its own unique historical and cultural situation. Through
the neopragmatism of the late Richard Rorty, the
Center
for Pragmatic Buddhism is
developing an "American" approach to Buddhism, having
revised the language employed to describe Pragmatic
Buddhism and having embraced an indigenous system of
thought alongside traditional Buddhism. This position is
liberating, as it allows us the ability to redescribe our
selves and our society through the playful and creative use
of an ever-shifting language. Impermanence must indeed be
applied to all things, including our forms of Buddhism.
All major forms of Buddhism alive and well today have
survived by synthesizing a traditional approach with a
novel, indigenous worldview; at CPB we have chosen to
embrace American pragmatism and neopragmatism. Just as
Buddhism emphasizes impermanence (anicca),
unsatisfactoriness (dukkha),
selflessness (anatman),
Pragmatism emphasizes contingency, openness and
antifoundationalism (no essence or underlying substance).
Both Buddhism and Pragmatism reject metaphysics, dualism
and extremism, and instead embrace a "middle way."
