The American Evasion of Philosophy: A Genealogy of Pragmatism
by Cornel West
Wisconsin Project on American Writers (1989)
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"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 show more 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." http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0666/88040446-d.html. show lessTags
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This is not an easy book for me. Much of the language is hard to master, with ordinary-sounding words used in surprising ways. For example "evasion," which seems to be about pragmatism's move away from epistemology, and about maybe much more.
(also, see review of 'Pragmatism, Old and New' by Haack)
(also, see review of 'Pragmatism, Old and New' by Haack)
West says Rorty was the highest stage of pragmatism up to the time of this book. But Rorty did not go far enough. The last chapter presents West's program for the next stage.
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Author Information
43+ Works 6,521 Members
Professor, writer, and civil rights activist Cornel West was born on June 2, 1953 in Tulsa, Oklahoma and raised in Sacramento. He graduated from Harvard University in 1973 with an M.A. and later taught African-American studies there. He has also taught at Union Theological Seminary, Haverford College, and Princeton University, the latter as show more professor of religion and director of African-American studies. West earned his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1980. He has written more than twenty books, including Race Matters and Restoring Hope: Conversations on the Future of Black America. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The American Evasion of Philosophy: A Genealogy of Pragmatism
Classifications
- Genres
- Philosophy, Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 144.3 — Philosophy & psychology Philosophical schools of thought Humanism and related systems and doctrines Pragmatism
- LCC
- B944 .P72 .W47 — Philosophy, Psychology and Religion Philosophy (General) By period Modern By region or country
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 222
- Popularity
- 146,959
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.17)
- Languages
- English, Italian, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 6
