Ethics and Philosophical Critique in William James Ethics and Philosophical Critique in William James Sarin Marchetti University College Dublin, Ireland © Sarin Marchetti 2015 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2015 978-1-137-54177-2 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2015 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-56002-8 ISBN 978-1-137-54178-9 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/9781137541789 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Marchetti, Sarin, 1983– Ethics and philosophical critique in William James / Sarin Marchetti, University College Dublin, Ireland. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. James, William, 1842–1910. 2. Ethics. I. Title. B945.J24M33 2015 170.92—dc23 2015015616 The result of twenty-four hundred years of philosophical dialogue is, among other things, to develop senses for words that are either much more restricted, or much richer, than those of common usage. – Richard Rorty, “ The Philosopher as Expert ” Contents Acknowledgments viii Introduction: William James, the Moral Philosopher 1 1 Pragmatism, Therapy, and the Moral Life 9 2 Questioning Moral Theory and the Shape of Ethics 4 8 3 The Life of the Mind and the Practices of the Self 1 17 4 Truth, Experience, and the World Re-Enchanted 1 59 5 Ethical Conduct and Political Activity 2 14 Conclusion: The Seeds of a Revolution in Moral Philosophy 248 Notes 265 Bibliography 276 Index 289 vii Acknowledgments The naïve picture of academics as solitary figures silently composing their books while secluded in their offices and workrooms dominated my imagination as a reader and my way of reading for quite some time, eventually turning into a sheer falsity – both theoretically and practi- cally – when I engaged in writing one myself. This book is in fact the result of intimate strivings and grappling with ethics and metaphi- losophy as well as of the most unexpected encounters and disparate exchanges with those who variously instigated those efforts in the first place and assisted me in their critical handling. The struggle with the subtle complexity of such issues took on the form of a series of private monologues and boisterous conversations with my peers on the diffi- culty of finding one’s philosophical voice to properly address them. My hope is that each page of this work will tell the story of such situated and extensive efforts. To discipline myself to think took me years of attention, adjustments, and conversions of various kinds. I have now just started to learn that to be a writer takes even greater concentration, composure, and self- government: countless nights and days sat at my desk made me realize that a book requires one to endure and outlive an extended intellec- tual commitment, as well as close self-examination. However, this activity would have been an arid experiment in self-discipline if not for the enrichment that my engagement with some valuable individuals brought to it and, in its turn, was shaped by it. I would not, in fact, have even begun to think that I might have something to say if not for the methodical and sometimes painstaking care and encouragement of some remarkable persons I have been involved with and of the organiza- tions I took part in. Wishing to be judged by the outcomes spurred by these openings and provocations alone, I cannot but be thankful for the path covered in their tentative achievement, which gave sense to the whole journey. A journey begun in the classes of Eugenio Lecaldano and Tito Magri at Sapienza Università di Roma, and continued in those of Akeel Bilgrami at Columbia University and Dick Bernstein at The New School for Social Research. One of the driving forces of the past ten years of my philo- sophical thinking has been my desire to demonstrate that I treasured their teachings and that it was worth spending some time arguing with viii Acknowledgments ix me about their work and mine. I am also much obliged to Rosa Calcaterra and Giancarlo Marchetti, who I came to encounter only at a later stage of this path, for their insightful criticism of my most recent work and a number of collaborations. Piergiorgio Donatelli, my D oktorvater , played a crucial role in my phil- osophical formation and coming to maturity, a project of self-cultiva- tion still ongoing. I simply cannot think of the several critical moments, both joyful and grim, of my thinking and writing without his presence instructing and engaging me, for which I am deeply grateful. Maria Baghramian, my postdoctoral mentor, provided me with her sharp insights, steady directions, and tireless support at a crucial crossroad of my life and career. Her strength is my confidence, and her dedication my guide. I had the good fortune to share my college years, which extended much beyond seminar rooms and library stacks, with some exquisite friends. I need to thank Farid Al Aflak for bygone but eternally returning conversations in Trastevere on hope, despair, and the possibility of redemption; Guido Baggio for discussing literature, films, and the fine art of self-deception; and Marco Nani for savvy exchanges on intellec- tual history, the allure of books, and the contingency of authorship. Michele Spanò and Alessio Vaccari have been in different ways ongoing sources of challenge and inspiration, besides providers of confidence and comfort. The encounter with Stefano Di Brisco has been a delightful and enriching event, and our bond survives all kinds of practical adver- sities. I am wholeheartedly thankful to Matteo Falomi for sharing his unique talent with me and for a much beloved friendship. I have the good fortune to keep learning from him about life and philosophy, and about how beautiful and rewarding comradeship can be. To my T eam Americana I owe the invaluable gift of their partnership in a wonderful intellectual adventure, from which I have learned a lot about my needs and about those of an academic life. Heartfelt thanks to Áine Mahon and Fergal McHugh for brisk conversations, rewarding collaborations, and good laughs. The Pragma group, an impressive ensemble of keen and engaged pragmatists, represented a source of constant stimulus and amusement. I owe much to its gifted members, and in particular to Anna Boncompagni, Roberto Frega, and Roberto Gronda for their fine work and the enjoyable shared activities. I am most thankful to Alan Rosenberg for a wonderful experiment in philo- sophical friendship, and for his sincere Beckettian encouragement “to go on.” His wisdom is only matched by his devotedness to the exam- ined life.