A new neo-pragmatism: From James and Dewey to Foucault

T May - Foucault Studies, 2011 - rauli.cbs.dk
T May
Foucault Studies, 2011rauli.cbs.dk
Michel Foucault's thought not only converges with a certain type of pragmatism; it can
deepen our understanding of pragmatism. There is an ambivalence in pragmatist thought
between an approach that privileges the question of:” What works?” and” How does it work?”
The former misses the political idea that some practices don't just work, but work for one
purpose or another. Foucault's pragmatism does not focus on what works, but instead
utilizes the concept of practices as a unit of analysis, and then asks how they work. This …
Abstract
Michel Foucault's thought not only converges with a certain type of pragmatism; it can deepen our understanding of pragmatism. There is an ambivalence in pragmatist thought between an approach that privileges the question of:” What works?” and” How does it work?” The former misses the political idea that some practices don't just work, but work for one purpose or another. Foucault's pragmatism does not focus on what works, but instead utilizes the concept of practices as a unit of analysis, and then asks how they work. This reintroduces a political element that sometimes goes missing in pragmatist thought.
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