1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910969932103321

Autore

West Cornel

Titolo

The American evasion of philosophy : a genealogy of pragmatism / / Cornel West

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Madison, Wis., : University of Wisconsin Press, c1989

ISBN

9786612697470

9781282697478

1282697471

9780299119638

0299119637

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

279 p

Collana

The Wisconsin project on American writers

Disciplina

144/.3/0973

Soggetti

Philosophy, American - History

Pragmatism - History

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Intro -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1 The Emersonian Prehistory of American Pragmatism -- Emerson on Power (and Tradition) -- Emerson on Provocation (and the Market) -- Emerson on Personality (and Race) -- Emerson on Organic Intellectual -- 2 The Historic Emergence of American Pragmatism -- Peirce on Scientific Method, Community, and Christian Love -- James on Individuality, Reconciliation, and Heroic Energies -- 3 The Coming-of-Age of American Pragmatism: John Dewey -- Dewey on Historical Consciousness, Critical Intelligence, and creative Democracy -- 4 The Dilemma of the Mid-Century Pragmatic Intellectual -- Sidney Hook: The Deweyen Political Intellecrual -- C. Wright Mills: The Neo-Deweyan Radical Social Critic -- W.E.B. Du Bois: The Jamesian Cultural Critic -- Reinhold Niebuhr: The Jamesian Cultural Critic -- Lionel Trilling: The Pragmatist as Arnoldian Literary Critic -- 5 the Decline and Resurgence of American Pragmatism: W.V. Quine and Richard Rorty -- 6. Prophetic Pragmatism: Cultural Criticism and Political Engagement -- Roverto Unger and Third-Wave Left Romanticism -- The Challenge of Michel Foucault -- Tragedy, Tradition, and Political Praxis -- Prophetic



Pragmatism and Postmodernity -- Notes -- Index.

Sommario/riassunto

Taking Emerson as his starting point, Cornel West's basic task in this ambitious enterprise is to chart the emergence, development, decline, and recent resurgence of American pragmatism. John Dewey is the central figure in West's pantheon of pragmatists, but he treats as well such varied mid-century representatives of the tradition as Sidney Hook, C. Wright Mills, W. E. B. Du Bois, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Lionel Trilling. West's "genealogy" is, ultimately, a very personal work, for it is imbued throughout with the author's conviction that a thorough reexamination of American pragmatism may help inspire and instruct contemporary efforts to remake and reform American society and culture.   "West... may well be the pre-eminent African American intellectual of our generation."-The Nation   " The American Evasion of Philosophy is a highly intelligent and provocative book. Cornel West gives us illuminating readings of the political thought of Emerson and James; provides a penetrating critical assessment of Dewey, his central figure; and offers a brilliant interpretation-appreciative yet far from uncritical-of the contemporary philosopher and neo-pragmatist Richard Rorty.... What shines through, throughout the work, is West's firm commitment to a radical vision of a philosophic discourse as inextricably linked to cultural criticism and political engagement."-Paul S. Boyer, professor emeritus of history, University of Wisconsin-Madison.   Wisconsin Project on American Writers   Frank Lentricchia, General Editor