The metaphysical club re-imag(in)ed : a pragmatist–feminist action inquiry

Augustine, Anne and Beavan, Katie and Morlacchi, Piera and Simpson, Barbara (2022) The metaphysical club re-imag(in)ed : a pragmatist–feminist action inquiry. In: 2nd Colloquium on Philosophy and Organization Studies, 2022-06-23 - 2022-06-25, Rhodes.

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Abstract

This proposal is written in a spirit of robust rebellion that draws on Pragmatism as a living philosophy re-imag(in)ed through critical Feminist contributions. We take our initial inspiration from the 'Metaphysical Club', a short-lived affair that has come to be accepted as the cradle of Pragmatist philosophy. The club's membership included Charles Peirce, William James, Oliver Holmes, Chauncey Wright, and in the amusingly disparaging words of Henry James (1872, 273) 'various other long-headed youths'. Their interest was in drawing practical meaning from the profound uncertainties they had all experienced in the years following the American Civil War. To this end, they began to invent a new philosophy that is exploratory, experimental and dedicated to social transformation through pluralism, community-building, and participative democracy (Dewey, 1927).