Abstract
This chapter examines the connections between William James’ pragmatism and 12-step addiction recovery programs, such as those of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. In doing so, it not only discusses the influence that James’ The Varieties of Religious Experience had on the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous and their development of the first-ever 12-step program but rebuts a critique of the founders’ attempt to apply James’ ideas to their program. Finally, after finding that James’ ideas on mind and epistemology fit quite well with 12-step programs, the article presents several observations related to philosophy with an eye toward its history and its connections with the lived realities of human beings.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | The Palgrave Handbook of Philosophy and Psychoactive Drug Use |
Editors | Rob Lovering |
Place of Publication | Singapore |
Publisher | Springer |
Pages | 299-317 |
Number of pages | 19 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9783031657900 |
ISBN (Print) | 9783031657894 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2024 |