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Library's collection Library's IT development CancelThis thesis is an analysis about the existance of William James' Pragmatism on Jack
Burden in Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men. The thesis writer is curious to know the
existance of William James' Pragmatism on Jack Burden because he is the only person who can
survive and understand about his world It includes the experience of Jack Burden to the past
which made him change from a person who does not know anything happen surround him to a
person who achieves an integration between himself and the world he lives in
The thesis writer finds out that there is the philosophy of pragmatism in the novel
because Jack Burden, as a researcher of truth, did the experience to the past which made him
change into a person who can understand his world better and can live in his world Philosophy
of pragmatism based on the conception of truth and as mediating system, stress the importance
of experience which can change the view of a person so that the person can live in his world
better and he can achieve the integration with the world he lives in.
Jack, at first, does not want to know about everything happen surround him because he
feels that it is useless to know anything happen in the world since he cannot understand the
world he lives in. But, as a researcher of truth, Jack should find out the truth in the life of Judge
Irwin, which made him change into the person who is aware of the important of the knowledge
after he made an experience to the past life of the Judge. From the experience he knew that what
he has done was wrong and it made him change into a person who is more responsible, more
understand about his world, and know how should live for the future. The experience made him
become the person who can understand his world better and can live in his world with his loving
mother and wife. Besides, as a mediator person, Jack gains the knowledge from Willie and
Adam that man cannot live only base on his idea or action, but on both of them Idea and action
must be in a balance. By becoming a researcher of truth and a mediator person, Jack can live
harmoniously with his mother and his lover, Anne.
So, the change in Jack which leads him to the harmonious life with his mother and his
lover, make the thesis writer concludes that there is William James'pragmatism in Jack Burden