Diverging paths? Conceptual pragmatism and logical empiricism

Abstract

I argue that Lewis’s conception of philosophy and conception of verification should be interpreted as opposed to the logical positivism of Carnap and Schlick. Specifically, I claim Lewis’s insistence on the importance of normative and metaphysical discourse, as well as his conception of verification that underwrites the meaning of normative and metaphysical statements, indicates a subtle but crucially important conflict with logical positivism. Lewis’s and Schlick’s disagreement over verification signals more than differing internal positions on a given issue; it arises from different conceptions of philosophy that go largely unarticulated in their debate. In light of these more fundamental considerations, pragmatism - at least in Lewis’s hands - should not be interpreted as aligned with logical positivism.