Welcome to the SoCal Pragmatist Forum

The Southern California Pragmatist Forum welcomes and connects scholars interested in philosophical pragmatism broadly construed. We welcome all scholars (not just historians of philosophy) from all disciplines influenced by or engaged with pragmatist ideas, such as its conceptions of belief, truth, reality, meaning, method, experience, inquiry, science, and more. 

We embrace, explore, and celebrate all aspects of the pragmatist tradition, from its Classical figures (Peirce, James, DuBois, Dewey, Cooper, Addams, etc.), to the mid-20th-century pragmatists and those influenced by them (C.I. Lewis, Ramsey, Quine, Sellars, Wittgenstein), to Neo-pragmatism (Putnam, Rorty, Goodman, Brandom), new pragmatism (Misak, Legg, Haack, Lane, Stout, Hacking, Price), and beyond.  

We seek out and support scholars working to expand and decolonize the traditional pragmatist canon, by translating and engaging with the works of indigenous and Latinx figures exemplifying or engaging with pragmatist ideas, such as Jose Ortega y Gasset, Risieri Frondizi, Viola Cordova, Carlos Vaz Ferreira, and Gloria Anzaldua, among many other figures wrongly omitted from too many texts, conversations, and syllabi. 

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Forum Activities 

The Forum hosts two events per year: one in-person in Southern California, and one online event. The Forum's blog will publish posts that inform readers about pragmatist thought, posts that update readers about current research involving pragmatism, announcements about events, and resources for teaching pragmatism.

Join the Forum ​

The members area allows you to network with other members, and the members-only, private discussion forum is a place to share ideas, ask questions, and have conversations that will advance your research and teaching. We currently welcome faculty from all institutions (globally), and (graduate and undergraduate) students from any campus of the University of California. Click "log in" at the top of this page to request membership.

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Photo credit: Hollywood Metro Station by 12019, via pixabay.com