Among the most well known philosophers and Pragmatists of America, I am going to focus specifically on two scholars: William James and John Dewey. In this essay, I am going to compare and contrast the ideas of these two thinkers. James’s doctrine mainly concerns with the cognitive, mental, and psychological life of the person, and its biological foundation. He also explores the social source and essential qualities of the human brain and self. First, through the process of pursuit of meaning behind “mentality,” concept of ends and means was created; human “mind” refers to actions consisting symbolized ends and means. He found that nervous system and brain are required for the mind to appear, but not enough. Second, he proposes the notion of “habit,” a grasped, noninstinctual …show more content…
Various types of habits are successfully formed due to people’s “plasticity,” a formation fragile enough to be affected by influences, but tough enough not to completely give in all at once. Third, one of the most famous ideas made by him is called the “stream of thought or consciousness.” For him, consciousness is more like a “river,” – by Heraclitus – as a metaphor for the whole cosmos, in consistent fluctuation. James, therefore, disagrees with the atomistic, experimental, empiricist perspective that assumes that people’s higher predicament of consciousness are all constructed upon unchanging, stable, basic, unit ideas. Fourth, James was an explorer aiming to understand the meaning of “self.” He perceived the different shape of the self – spiritual, material, social – nevertheless, he was more set on a “core.” He continues