from Pragmatism Commentary by Claude Tough Mind and Tender Mind
What are tough minded and tender minded?
Tough-minded and tender-minded are concepts presented by James in Pragmatism that classify the temperament of a philosopher.
Tough-mindedness is a way of thinking that tends to be empiricist, pragmatic, and materialistic. Tough-minded people emphasize concrete facts and value empirical results over abstract principles. They are friendly to scientific ways of thinking and skeptical of religious speculation. They are also said to face reality and tend to be pessimistic.
The tender mind, on the other hand, is a way of thinking that tends toward rationalism, idealism, and optimism. Tenderminded people emphasize abstract principles and ideals and seek logical consistency over empirical facts. They have an affinity for religious and metaphysical speculation and are skeptical of scientific ways of thinking. They also value ideals over reality and tend to be optimistic.
James himself saw these two temperaments as complementary rather than opposing. One of the goals of pragmatism is to integrate the strengths of tough-mindedness and tender-mindedness and to overcome the weaknesses of both.
In other words, pragmatism is a position that recognizes moral and religious values while emphasizing empirical facts. It also emphasizes the practical consequences of theories rather than their abstractness, but that does not mean it rejects all theoretical speculation.
Thus, the concepts of tough-mindedness and tender-mindedness demonstrate the diversity of philosophical ways of thinking and highlight the significance of pragmatism as a new way of thinking that integrates them.
What are the nuances of the tough/tender words used?
James’s choice of the terms tough-minded and tender-minded was likely intended to express not just a difference in the way they think, but also the emotional and personality nuances associated with their respective temperaments.
The word tough means “sturdy,” “severe,” or “able to withstand difficulties. This suggests that a tough-minded person has the strength to face the harshness of reality and not be daunted by difficult problems. The word “tough” also has nuances of a certain rigidity, ruthlessness, and sometimes callousness.
The word tender, on the other hand, means “soft,” “gentle,” or “sensitive. This suggests that tender-minded people are sensitive, susceptible, and idealistic. The word “tender” also has nuances of a certain weakness, vulnerability, and sometimes sweetness.
By using such contrasting terms, James highlights the differences in 두 기질’s psychological 적 characteristics and emotional dispositions. In other words, it suggests not just differences in the way they think, but also the personality traits associated with their respective temperaments.
At the same time, the choice of these words may also reflect James’ own value judgments. The words “tough” and “tender” are not necessarily neutral words, and the former could be read as implying a certain positive evaluation, while the latter could be read as implying a certain negative evaluation.
It should be kept in mind, however, that James’ ultimate goal was not to evaluate these temperaments, but rather to integrate the best of both. The choice of the words “tough” and “tender” may have been a rhetorical strategy to highlight the differences between the two.
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