The Promise of Pragmatism: Modernism and the Crisis of Knowledge and Authority

Abstract

For much of the 20th century, pragmatism has held the dominant point of view in American politics, law, education and social thought in general. After suffering a brief eclipse in the post-World War II period, pragmatism has experienced a revival, especially in literary theory and such areas as poststructuralism and deconstruction. In this critique of pragmatism and neopragmatism, the author traces the attempts of thinkers from William James to Richard Rorty to find a response to the crisis of modernism. He analyzes the limitations of pragmatism from a historical perspective and asks whether America's one original contribution to the world of philosophy has actually fulfilled its promise.

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