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Not Hegels talesApplied concepts, negotiated truths and the reciprocity of un-equals in conceptual pragmatismDepartment of Philosophy, SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA The article expresses skepticism on the alleged affinity between Hegels theory of conceptuality and conceptual pragmatism. Despite the intriguing philosophical impetus underlying the latter, the author formulates doubts about its compatibility with logical and metaphysical principles of absolute idealism. The criticism is articulated in four theses: (1) pragmatisms concerns with (ultimately empirical) concept-acquisition and concept-application are largely alien to Hegels logical-metaphysical theory of conceptuality; (2) the interchangeability of word and concept in the pragmatist discussion is incompatible with Hegels notion of thinking; (3) the distinction of Vertsandesbestimmung and Vernunftbegriff, while ignored in practice in the pragmatist approach, is pivotal to Hegels understanding of the nature of conceptuality; (4) finally, pragmatisms use of the recognition-thesis from the Phenomenology of Spirit ignores the noncontractarian, non-negotiative function of the same in Hegels work.
Key Words: concept consciousness contractarianism individuality reason recognition singularity subject subjection
Philosophy & Social Criticism, Vol. 33, No. 1,
83-98 (2007) |
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