国人对实用主义的诠释曾有过三个比较醒目的版本,它们分别是:科学方法论、主观唯心主义真理观、实证主义意义理论,然而实用主义的本体论即它的彻底经验主义学说才是它真正的“硬核”。彻底经验主义是一种与西方传统哲学大相径庭的哲学世界观,它从生存论的角度将人与世界的交缠互动置于哲学的首要位置,否定二元式的哲学思维,否定大写的形而上学,倡导实践优先。,所有这些都为实用主义与中国哲学的对话提供了一个很好的平台,实用主义可以在中国哲学那里觅见自己的回映。
We Chinese once have three versions of interpretation about what pragmatism is, which are respectively as follows : a scientific methodology, a subjective theory of truth and a positivist theory of meaning. However, the essence of pragmatism should be nothing but its ontology, namely, its doctrine of radical empiricism. It is a philosophic worldview which is totally different from the traditional western philosophy. From the existential perspective, it takes the interaction between human and world as the first premise of philosophy, refutes the thinking way of dualism, repudiates metaphysics in capitals, and advocates the primacy of practice. All of these provides a good platform for the dialogue between pragmatism and Chinese philosophy, especially Confucianism. Pragmatism can find its echo in Chinese philosophy.