Situated Religious Cognition in Jamesian Pragmatist Philosophy of Religion
Religions July 26, 2024 DOI: 10.3390/rel15070815 (opens in new tab) via DOAJ
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractWilliam James's pragmatist philosophy of religion offers a distinctive account of situated religious cognition that remains relevant to contemporary discussions. This paper identifies central situational themes in James's work, focusing on the relationship between belief and hope as situation-dependent concepts. It also briefly examines the ontological status of the objects of situated religious cognition, showing how James's pragmatism treats religious beliefs as shaped by context and practical consequences rather than as fixed metaphysical claims.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Situationality Pragmatism Religious experience William james Belief |
| Key finding | Argues that William James's pragmatism provides a distinctive account of situated religious cognition, with belief and hope as situation-dependent concepts, relevant to current debates. |
Abstract
Pragmatist philosophy of religion has, since the early days of the tradition, developed distinctive accounts of (what we now call) “situated” religious cognition highly relevant to currently ongoing discussions in this developing field. This paper focuses on William James’s pragmatism as an important example of such an approach in the philosophy of religion. Some central “situational” themes in James are identified, and special attention is given to the relation between the (situation-dependent) concepts of belief and hope in Jamesian pragmatism. The ontological status of the “objects” of situated religious cognition is thereby also briefly discussed.