In Dewey's Wake

Unfinished Work of Pragmatic Reconstruction

Edited by William J. Gavin
Introduction by William J. Gavin

Subjects: American Philosophy
Paperback : 9780791456309, 255 pages, January 2003
Hardcover : 9780791456293, 255 pages, January 2003

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Table of contents

Introduction: Passing Dewey By?
William J. Gavin

PART ONE: Changing Contexts

1. Advancing American Philosophy: Pragmatism and Philosophical Scholarship
James Campbell

2. Dewey's Limited Shelf Life: A Consumer Warning
Michael Eldridge

3. New Directions and Uses in the Reconstruction of Dewey's Ethics
Gregory Pappas

4. Contexts Vibrant and Contexts Souring in Dewey's Philosophy
William J. Gavin

PART TWO: Radical Reconstruction

5. As Dewey Was Hegelian, So We Should Be Deweyan
Raymond D. Boisvert

6. (Re)construction Zone: Beware of Falling Statues
Shannon Sullivan

7. Between Being and Emptiness: Toward an Eco-Ontology of Inhabitation
Thomas M. Alexander

PART THREE: Don't Pass—Build!

8. On Passing Dewey By: The New Millennium and the Climate of Pluralism
Sandra Rosenthal

9. Pressing Dewey's Advantage
Joseph Margolis

10. Improving Life
John Lachs

11. In the Wake of Darwin
Vincent Colapietro

List of Contributors

Index

Leading scholars evaluate the importance of Dewey's work for our times.

Description

In a pluralistic tapestry of approaches, eminent Dewey scholars address his pragmatic philosophy and whether it should be reinterpreted, reconfigured, or "passed-by," so as to better deal with the problems posed by the twenty-first century. For some, Dewey's contextualism remains intact, requiring more to be amended than radically changed. For others, his work needs significant revision if he is to be relevant in the new millennium. Finally, there are those who argue that we should not be so quick to pass Dewey by, for he has much to offer that has still gone unnoticed or unappreciated. This rich narrative indicates both where the context has changed and what needs to be preserved and nurtured in Dewey as we advance into the future.

William J. Gavin is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern Maine. He is the author of several books including Cuttin' the Body Loose: Historical, Biological, and Personal Approaches to Death and Dying and William James and the Reinstatement of the Vague. He is the editor of Context Over Foundation: Dewey and Marx.