William James and the Quest for an Ethical Republic (Palgrave Studies in Cultural and Intellectual History)

Pragmatist philosopher William James has long been deemed a dubious guide to ethical reasoning. This book overturns such thinking, demonstrating the coherence of James's efforts to develop a flexible but rigorous framework for individuals and societies seeking freedom, meaning, and justice in a world of interdependence, uncertainty, and change. Pragmatist philosopher William James has long been deemed a dubious guide to ethical reasoning. William James and the Quest for an Ethical Republic overturns such thinking, demonstrating the consistency and coherence of James's efforts to develop a flexible but rigorous framework for individuals and societies seeking freedom, meaning, and justice in a world of interdependence, uncertainty, and change Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction....Pages 1-7 The Ethical Origins of James’s Pragmatism....Pages 9-38 Religion and the Refinement of James’s Pragmatism....Pages 39-81 The Ethical Republic....Pages 83-108 Citizen James....Pages 109-138 Legacies and Prospects....Pages 139-168 Back Matter....Pages 169-232 Cover 1 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 9 Introduction 11 1 The Ethical Origins ofJames’s Pragmatism 18 2 Religion and the Refinement ofJames’s Pragmatism 48 3 The Ethical Republic 91 4 Citizen James 117 5 Legacies and Prospects 147 Abbreviations 177 Notes 179 Bibliography 217 Index 230