Pragmatism

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Emerging in the United States around 1870, pragmatism is defined by its focus on practical consequences as a means to clarify hypotheses, particularly regarding truth. Key figures like Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey shaped its foundational ideas. Although its influence waned mid-century, a revival since the 1970s has seen renewed interest from philosophers like Richard Rorty and Hilary Putnam, who further develop its principles. Central to pragmatism is a fallibilist, anti-Cartesian epistemology that challenges traditional norms of inquiry.