A Spirit of Synthesis: Charles Morris, Morton White, and the Crisis of Pragmatism

Abstract: This paper builds on Robert Talisse’s interpretation of a “crisis” in mid-century pragmatism to examine the overlooked contributions of Charles Morris and Morton White. Against the metaphilosophical overreach of Deweyan pragmatism, Morris and White advanced a distinct effort toward philosophical synthesis: unifying diverse traditions on a pragmatist basis while rejecting doctrinal reductionism or triumphalism along with any hierarchy of vocabularies. This pluralistic ethos, grounded in the socio-cultural embeddedness of science and the centrality of practice, counters both the insularity of forms of inquiry and the separation between categories of meaning, shaping a holistic approach to philosophical engagement. By challenging dualisms at the philosophical and metaphilosophical levels, Morris and White’s approach widens the scope of pragmatism while fostering a freer yet also more rigorous relationship with their intellectual lineage. By challenging the “eclipse” narrative, this paper highlights continuities within the pragmatist tradition, positioning Morris and White as early representatives of a neopragmatist current, with significant resonances in contemporary trends following its “revival” in the 1980s.