John Dewey

Raymond D. Boisvert is Professor of Philosophy at Siena College. He is the author of Dewey's Metaphysics.

"Ray Boisvert describes his little book as a 'primer,' whose 'aim is to serve as a brief and generally accessible introduction to Dewey's philosophy.' He succeeds admirably … Boisvert, while also limiting himself to exposition, attempts to articulate Dewey's thinking in terms of the philosophic and public discourse of our time." — International Studies in Philosophy "This book is superbly written: clear, elegant, scholarly. It is a model of lucidity by a major Dewey scholar. It is far better than anything else in print as an introduction to the thought of John Dewey. Boisvert illuminates themes in Dewey with a variety of highly interesting examples drawn from literature, contemporary French and British philosophy, and science. This will be the book people will buy to get an overview of a major American philosopher." — Thomas Alexander, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale"This book helpfully integrates Dewey's diverse theories in terms of three central themes that reappear throughout his wide-ranging thought: the rejection of simple, monistic solutions, the challenging of purificationist reductions, and the refusal of disembodied idealisms. The author touches on all of the major areas where Dewey made a significant contribution to philosophy, from metaphysics and theory of knowledge to ethics, politics, and the philosophy of art, education, and religion." — Richard Shusterman, Temple University

• List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction The "Naissance" and "Renaissance" of American PhilosophyDewey's Reconstruction of the Tradition1. The Life-World Lived ExperienceThe Fallacy of IntellectualismThe Primacy of InteractionTemporality and PossibilityResponsibilityEvaluating Philosophy2. Thinking Against EpistemologyCopernican RevolutionsSpectators or Inquirers?The Traits of Inquiry3. Democracy Winthrop, Locke, and DeweyConjoint, Communicated ExperienceFreedom as GrowthEquality as Individuality4. The Public Mass or Public?Problems of the PublicConditions for Reviving the PublicAn Effective Public5. Educating A Simple CredoBeyond Modern ManOccupationsEducation is an End in ItselfEducation and DemocracyMoral Education6. Making Art versus artsExperienceImagination, Communication, and ExpressionDistraction versus Participation7. Devotion Religious versus ReligionThe "Load" Carried by Traditional ReligionsFaithGodCooperation8. Conclusion Postmodern or Polytemporal?Dewey's RelevanceAppendix A: Biographical Data Appendix B: Dewey in Cyberspace Notes Bibliography Index