WILLIAM JAMES ON THE PRAGMATIC CONCEPTION OF TRUTH AND HUMAN KNOWLEDGE: A REFORMATIONAL REFLECTION

Abstract

At a glance, William James’ conception of truth in epistemology, especially in its critique of Modernism’s a-temporal, a-contextual, and absolutist conception of truth sounds very similar with a critique from Herman Dooyeweerd of the Reformational tradition. In this article, I would show what those similarities are and how the two systems are radically different. This research may be significant for Pragmatism is widely known and accepted in the late 20^th century and well into the 21^st century. Pragmatism is quite successful in grounding the elitist and abstract discourse of the academia to its daily contexts.

KEYWORDS: James; Dooyeweerd; Truth; Pragmatism; Refomational Epistemology.