Scott L. Pratt Department of Philosophy University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403-1295 spratt@uoregon.edu (541) 346-5982 :Office (541) 346-5544 :FAX

The history of America is in part a history of an emergent philosophy and practice of pluralism. Some have argued, particularly from within the Native American tradition, that pluralism has survived in North America because there are multiple "worlds" to sustain it. The claim is not an epistemic one-that is, the claim that there are multiple worldviews-but an ontological claim that there exist multiple worlds, and that this pluralism has epistemic implications. According to this indigenous perspective, the plurality of actual worlds makes possible an ongoing pluralism and interactions between worlds. Historically, this pluralist philosophy emerged along the border between Native American peoples and the growing communities of European American people. While at times this pluralism was in ascendance and helped to develop practices of coexistence and cross-cultural interaction, at other times-most times-then and now the philosophy and practices of pluralism were overwhelmed by the dominant monism of European philosophy and religion and by the complementary practices of conquest and assimilation. In my book, Native Pragmatism: Rethinking the Roots of American Philosophy, I argued that the philosophical views of Native Americans played a significant role in the origins of classical pragmatism-the philosophies of John Dewey, Charles Peirce, and William James. By examining both the Native American philosophical traditions that emerged in the interaction between indigenous Americans and Europeans, and the ways in which the work of seminal European American philosophers developed, I argued that a case can be made for the influence of Native American thought. In particular, I looked at the work of Roger Williams, Benjamin Franklin, and Lydia Maria Child, the Native American traditions that they encountered, and ways in which these interactions contributed to a developing and distinctive American philosophy. Among the aspects of native thought that were most influential, I argued, was the principle of pluralism. In my new work, I will examine the conception of pluralism as it developed in the work of American philosophers at the turn of the 19th century, not as an historical account, but as an effort to develop a new theory for understanding and fostering pluralism at the beginning of the 21st century. My current book project is a study of the meaning of pluralism from the perspective of the American philosophical tradition and its implications for cultural difference in the 21st century. The work considers the ontology developed by Vine Deloria, Jr. and other recent Native American thinkers, the concept of continuity formulated by Peirce, the idea of interpreting communities offered by Josiah Royce, and the notion of borderlands developed by Gloria Anzaldúa and recent feminist theorists. The work aims to bring these theoretical components together to frame a new theory of pluralism that can ground concrete work in social policy and conflict mediation. I am also working on a new introductory logic text based on the logical theory Royce, Peirce and Dewey, and the theory of communicative action of Jürgen Habermas. My other interests include the philosophy of music and I am co-authoring a work on musical performance.

Selected Publications Books Native Pragmatism. Indiana University Press (2002). Anthologies The Philosophical Writings of Cadwallader Colden. Co-edited with John Ryder. Humanity                       Books (2002). American Philosophy: An Anthology. Co-edited with Leonard Harris and Anne Waters.            Blackwell Publishing (2002). Articles Jane Addams: Bread and Patriotism in Time of War, Midwest Studies in Philosophy, Volume            XXVII (forthcoming). Rebuilding Babylon: The Pluralism of Lydia Maria Child. Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist            Philosophy. (forthcoming) 19, 2 (2004). Knowledge and Action: American Epistemology. In Blackwell Guide to American Philosophy,            edited by Armen T. Marsoobian and John Ryder. Blackwell Publishing (2003). Race, Education, and Democracy. In Pragmatism and the Problems of Race, edited by Bill            Lawson and Donald Koch, Indiana University Press, (2003). Introduction. The Collected Writings of Addison W. Moore, Volume Two: Pragmatism and Its            Critics (1910). Thoemmes Press (2003). The Given Land: Black Hawk's Conception of Place. Philosophy and Geography, 4, 1 (February            2001), 109-126. Cultural Cartographies: The Logic of Domination and Native Cultural Survival. Co-authored with            Shari Huhndorf. Journal of Speculative Philosophy, New Series, 14, 4 (2000), 268-285. Inquiry and Analysis: Dewey and Russell on Philosophy. Studies in Philosophy and Education,           17: 101-122, 1998. Ceremony and Rationality in the Haudenosaunee Tradition. In Theorizing Multiculturalism:            A Guide to the Current Debate, edited by Cynthia Willett. Blackwell Publishing, 1998,           401-421. "A Sailor in a Storm": Dewey on the Meaning of Language. Transactions of the Charles S.           Peirce Society 33, 4, (Fall 1997). Native American Thought and the Origins of Pragmatism. Ayaangwaamizin: The International            Journal of Indigenous Philosophy 1, 1 (Spring 1997). The Influence of the Iroquois on Early American Philosophy. Transactions of the Charles S.            Peirce Society 32, 2 (Spring 1996). Philosophy, Criticism, and Social Reform. Metaphilosophy, 26, 4 (October 1995), 337-346. Teaching Interests Pratt teaches series of courses to introduce undergraduate and graduate students to the wide range of thinkers within the American tradition. These courses include a general introduction to American philosophy, surveys of African American and Native American philosophy, as well as courses on the work of John Dewey, William James, Josiah Royce, Jane Addams, C. S. Peirce, and W. E. B. Du Bois. He has also teaches graduate seminars on epistemology, pragmatist social theory, pluralism, and the history of philosophy. In addition to teaching courses at the advanced level, Pratt teaches the introductory-level course, PHIL 216, Philosophy and Cultural Diversity, that applies the lessons of American philosophies of cultural pluralism to understanding contemporary social problems. He also teaches PHIL 325, Logic, Inquiry and Argumentation, a core course for the undergraduate philosophy major and an introduction to the philosophy and practice of logic. Course Links         PHIL 407/507 Symbolic Logic

 

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