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Perspective

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Abstract

This entry focuses on the notion of perspective as it is used in philosophy and psychology. From a pragmatist standpoint, I conceptualize perspectives as action-based relations with the world and, in doing so, respond to both accusations of skepticism and relativism usually addressed to perspectival accounts of knowledge, truth, and reality. In fact, following Mead’s perspectival realism, I propose here that perspectives orient our thinking and action and, through this, help us discover new possibilities for both. After a brief introduction that discusses different meanings of the word perspective, I move on to describe an action-based account of perspectives and, with its help, review some important debates around perspectivism as a school of thought. In the end, the entry briefly outlines a perspectival theory of the possible that not only considers perspectives essential for our behavior and knowledge but also indispensable for becoming aware of and exploring new possibilities.

Keywords

  • Perspective
  • Perspectivism
  • Position
  • Action
  • Pragmatism
  • Possibility

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Counseling, Webster University Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Vlad P. Glăveanu

  2. Center for the Science of Learning and Technology (SLATE), University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Vlad P. Glăveanu

Authors
  1. Vlad P. Glăveanu
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Correspondence to Vlad P. Glăveanu .

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    Samira Bourgeois-Bougrine

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Glăveanu, V.P. (2020). Perspective. In: The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98390-5_18-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98390-5_18-2

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98390-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98390-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social Sciences

Chapter History

  1. Latest

    Perspective
    Published:
    13 September 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98390-5_18-3

  2. Perspective
    Published:
    28 May 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98390-5_18-2

  3. Original

    Perspective
    Published:
    24 February 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98390-5_18-1