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Philosopher’s Presentation To Examine ‘Truth’
Oct. 31, 2014
SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt
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John McDermott |
John McDermott, Texas A&M University Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Humanities and one of the “living legends of American philosophy,” will discuss “Some Caves are Unfriendly: Plato and William James,” on Thursday (Nov. 6).
The presentation, sponsored by the philosophy program, will begin at 4 p.m. in Lee Drain Building Room 215.
McDermott—who is one of the world’s leading scholars on American philosopher William James and “a master of the classroom” whose “lectures are a powerful experience in a wide-ranging style”—will expand upon the ties he makes between Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” and James’s famous essay “The Will to Believe.”
Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” tells the story of an individual’s breaking of societal chains and the transcendence to true knowledge through education. It also deals with the responsibility of that individual to convey wisdom to others and the likely backlash that comes from such an effort, according to Charles Carlson, postdoctoral fellow at SHSU.
James’s “Will to Believe” is an essay in defense of the ability to believe in something—whether it be a cause, a god, or a way of life, even if we cannot prove that our belief is true beyond a reasonable doubt.
The essay is considered a “cornerstone” in the history of American pragmatism and is “illustrative of some of its central tenets—fallibilism, pluralism, and the controversial claim that sometimes belief in a thing helps create the truth of that thing,” Carlson said.
“In Plato’s story the truth is out there waiting for us to discover, and in James’s, the truth is in part produced by our actions and our beliefs about the world,” he said. “McDermott’s lecture weaves together Plato and James to produce a unique interpretation of the implications and upshot of these two stories and provides insight on topics such as habit, addiction, our relationship to the community, the power of belief, and the role of education in our concept of freedom.”
McDermott has taught for more than 60 years and currently holds the TAMU Melbern G. Glasscock Chair in the Humanities.
Through his academic concentrations on the philosophy of culture, of literature, of medicine and classical American philosophy, he has edited a number of books and journals and has written more than 100 articles and four essay collections.
In addition to his scholarship, McDermott has been the recipient of many teaching awards, notably the National Harbison Award for Gifted Teaching, the Presidential Professor Award for Teaching Excellence, and the Piper Professor award for outstanding scholarly and academic achievement from the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation.
His presentation is open to anyone who is interested in philosophy.
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