Philosophy and the Reconstruction of Culture

John J. Stuhr is Director of the Humanities Center and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oregon. He is the author of John Dewey, editor of Classical American Philosophy: Essential Readings and Interpretive Essays; and coeditor of Private Morals and Public Interest: Ethics in Government and Public Service; Morals and the Media: Information, Entertainment, and Manipulation; and Ethics and Free Enterprise: The Social Responsibility of Business.

"The book is timely and useful, for it brings together some of the best Dewey scholars and focuses on an issue not only at the center of Dewey's concern but also in need of the serious, sustained, and systematic attention it receives here." — Vincent M. Colapietro, Fordham University"This is a near uniformly excellent collection of essays, which does more than merely interpret classical American philosophy but brings that tradition to bear upon central, present-day, cultural issues in original and thoughtful ways. Those represented all are recognized leading interpreters of American philosophy. This is a book years overdue." — Kenneth W. Stikkers, Seattle University"This book brings together essays by most of the leading interpreters of Dewey and of American pragmatism. These authors are also very cognizant of the major issues in the contemporary philosophical as well as the cultural scene and they have been active in dialoging with the major contemporary philosophical and cultural movements. There are some exciting and truly useful and outstanding essays here." — Jacquelyn Ann K. Kegley, California State University, Bakersfield

• Preface References and Abbreviations 1 American Philosophy, Socialism, and the Contradictions of Modernity Thelma Z. Lavine2 Democracy as Cooperative Inquiry James Campbell3 Democracy as a Way of Life John. J. Stuhr4 The Individual, the Community, and the Reconstruction of Values Sandra B. Rosenthal5.Dewey and Contemporary Moral Philosophy James Gouinlock6 Aristotle and Dewey on the Rat Race John Lachs7 Validating Women's Experiences Pragmatically Charlene Haddock Seigfried8 Heteronomous Freedom Raymond D. Boisvert9 Naturalizing Epistemology: Reconstructing Philosophy Peter T. Manicas10 Rationality and a Sense of Pragmatism: Preconditions for a New Method of Thinking Igor N. Sidorov11 Objects of Knowledge H. S. Thayer12 The Human Eros Thomas A. Alexander13.Liberal Irony and Social Reform Larry A. Hickman14 The Pragmatics of Deconstruction and the End of Metaphysics R. W. Sleeper15 Body-Mind and Subconsciousness: Tragedy in Dewey's Life and Work Bruce Wilshire16 Why Bother: Is Life Worth Living? Experience as Pedagogical John J. McDermottContributors Index