Description
Book SynopsisJohn Dewey, widely known as "America's philosopher," surprisingly never set down a complete moral or ethical philosophy. Showing that Dewey's ethics are compatible with the rest of his philosophy, this work corrects the reputation of American pragmatism as a philosophy committed to skepticism and relativism.
Trade ReviewJohn Dewey, perhaps the most prolific figure in American philosophy and pragmatism, is roundly considered deficient with respect to ethics. Pappas (Texas A&M) addresses this misconception by demonstrating that ethics is the organizing center of Dewey's entire philosophical approach. . . . This book handles Dewey's disparate texts and broad research adeptly, and focuses on the issues of experience and experiment in a holistic treatment of pragmatic ethics. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. February 2009
* Choice *
. . . an extensive and pioneering elucidation of John Dewey's ethics. [The author] thoughtfully articulates Dewey's quest to bring qualitative experience to the forefront of moral thought. Pappas' new book is a grand contibution to the chronicles of Deweyan thought.Vol. 35.1 Spring 2008
-- Marjorie Cavey * Southern Illinois University, Carbondale *
[This] book is impressive in scope and accomplishment. Pappas draws on the entire corpus of Dewey's work to reconstruct Dewey's mature moral philosophy and convincingly shows that Dewey's view is not only distinct and defensible philosophically, but vital for dealing with contemporary real-world concerns.
* Transactions of the Charles S. Peirce Society *
[A] sporting analogy for ethics reinforces Pappas's essential point, that the best ethics for democracy emerge on the playing fields of experience. John Dewey's philosophy articulates that promise, while Gregory Pappas's work marks the maturing of the awareness of its relevance for modern democracies in search of themselves.44.1 Feb. 2010
* Journal of American Studies *
Table of ContentsPreface
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
Part 1. Moral Theory and Experience
1. Experience as Method
2. Moral Theory and Moral Practice
3. The Normative Standpoint of Pragmatism
Part 2. Dewey's View of Moral Experience
4. Morality as Experience
5. The "What" of Moral Experience
6. The "How" of Moral Experience
7. Character and Conduct: Dewey and the Great Divide in Ethics
8. Present Activity and the Meaning of Moral Life
9. Conclusion: The Need for a Recovery of Moral Philosophy
Part 3. The Ideal Moral Life
10. The Intelligent, Aesthetic, and Democratic Way of Life
11. The Ideal Moral Self
12. Democracy as the Ideal Moral Community
13. A Philosophical Justification of Democracy
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
