DIVAn assessment, by a distinguished panel of experts, on the impact of pragmatism on contemporary thought./div

The dramatic resurgence of American Pragmatism was one of the most important intellectual developments in the Twentieth Century. As the influence of this revitalised movement continues to spread across a variety of disciplines ranging from law to literary theory, the time is ripe for a considered reassessment of both its origins in the works of Charles Peirce, William James and John Dewey and its later revival in the hands of thinkers such as Richard Rorty and Hilary Putnam. This three-volume collection gathers together the necessary material for just such an 'assessment'. As such, it will an invaluable research tool for scholars and students who need to understand the significance of Pragmatism's unique place in the history of ideas. Alan Malachowski is an Honorary Lecturer in Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy, University of East Anglia.

In this volume, a host of distinguished scholars examine Richard Rorty's influence on twentieth-century American pragmatism and its commitment to achieving social democracy. Rorty's reclaiming of the pragmatist tradition and his contribution to the discipline of intellectual history are highlighted; at the same time, each essay finds Rorty's pragmatism (most fully enunciated in Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity) lacking in its privatist vision of the good life. This criticism is drawn out through explicit comparisons between Rorty and his grandfather Walter Rauschenbusch, William James, John Dewey, Randolph Bourne, Richard J. Bernstein, and other twentieth century pragmatist thinkers. This volume offers the most complete historical treatment of this controversial intellectual to date.

A new, pragmatic understanding of the role of community and individuals in democratic society.

William James claimed that his Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking would prove triumphant and epoch-making. Today, after more than 100 years, how is pragmatism to be understood? What has been its cultural and philosophical impact? Is it a crucial resource for current problems and for life and thought in the future? John J. Stuhr and the distinguished contributors to this multidisciplinary volume address these questions, situating them in personal, philosophical, political, American, and global contexts. Engaging James in original ways, these 11 essays probe and extend the significance of pragmatism as they focus on four major, overlapping themes: pragmatism and American culture; pragmatism as a method of thinking and settling disagreements; pragmatism as theory of truth; and pragmatism as a mood, attitude, or temperament.