Description
Book SynopsisIn the first book on the development ofJohn Dewey's ethical thought, Jennifer Welchman revises the prevalent interpretation of his ethics. Her clear and engaging account traces the history of Dewey's distinctive moral philosophy from its roots in idealism during the 1890s through the pragmatist approach of his 1922 work, Human Nature and...
Trade ReviewThis account of the development of Dewey's ethics, with an emphasis on his early and middle writings, is the first book-length treatment of this subject. Welchman... follows Dewey's ethical thought from its beginnings in idealism through the mature statement of his pragmatic instrumentalism in Human Nature and Conduct.... A lucid, fair, and meticulously researched analysis of the development of Dewey's ethical thought and a valuable resource for anyone working in American philosophy or cultural studies.
* Choice *
Welchman is an excellent interpreter of the early and middle Dewey... fresh and provocative... Welchman does what few Deweyan interpreters have done; she analyzes his thinking.
* Metaphilosophy *
Welchman's... account of Dewey's ethics moves along briskly. It is compact without affecting quality.
-- Abraham Edel * International Studies in Philosophy *
A careful, incisive, and thorough study.... It is based almost exclusively on Dewey's own writings; secondary works are cited rarely and chiefly for the purpose of rebutting them. Historians interested in ideas will find here an internalist history of the development of a major thinker.
* Journal of American History *
