Elgar Companion to George Herbert Mead

This illuminating Companion presents a new perspective on George Herbert Mead's contribution to philosophy and the social sciences. It provides an updated interpretation of Mead's pragmatism, containing references to contemporary issues in epistemology, theory, and political reformism promoted by Mead in his lifetime.High-profile specialists propose innovative ways of retrospectively assessing Mead's oeuvre, situating his works in the context of current academic debates and using them to address pressing modern questions. Chapters showcase an original synthesis of the legacy of Mead's works, examining his writings, his conceptual views and their applications, and his influence on other thinkers. They shed light on his approach to epistemology, cosmology, and social psychology, revealing new aspects of these fields. Featuring an illuminating Foreword by Hans Joas, the Companion establishes novel ways of thinking about his intellectual output and indicates stimulating directions for future research.Examining a wide array of Mead's remarkable insights and conceptual viewpoints, this Companion is an invaluable resource for scholars and students of political theory, sociology and sociological theory, and social psychology. It is also a beneficial read for social scientists and political reformists interested in Mead's life, theories, and reputation as a public intellectual.