Publication Details

Abstract

The paper discusses W. James' non-cartesian model of philosophy. This model is based on rejection of any substantialism and on James' belief, that the reality is created by our knowing and that our objective is to effect the reality actively. In this perspective James' pragmatism is first of all a method of resolving metaphysical disputes, or a non-correspondence genetic theory of truth. Cartesian drawing on rational predispositions is nothing but a form of noetic authoritarianism, which is rejected by James. For him a nonsubstantialist model of philosophy is a way of eliminating the philosophy of reality in favour of the true philosophy. It is not the task of philosophy to give a model of the universe, but rather to give a description of how our beliefs come to existence. He himself viewed this non-cartesian position as a rejection of all sorts of uncorrigibilities, which Descartes had searched for and which according to James we are unable to achieve.