Two Genealogies of Action in Pragmatism

Abstract

My thesis is that there are two distinct streams of concern with action in the pragmatist radition. The first of these streams was identified by Peirce, as he considered the origins of his early views about concepts and belief. The second stream runs through the writing and career of John Dewey and can be divided into two smaller streams, one in which action is conceived as intelligent bodily activity, another in which action is conceived of as "growth,” “self-expression,” or “finding one’s way.”