Philosophy Club - The Story of American Ideas

Author: Louis Menand
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: The Philosophical Club tells the story of pragmatism, a philosophy that has had a significant impact on American society, from its emergence and development in the United States. The author, Louis Menand, describes how American pragmatism evolved from the works of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey, and how it gradually took shape amidst the turmoil of the Civil War and the massive social and economic transformations that followed. Against the backdrop of the American Civil War and the post-war era, the author emphasizes the importance of the war as the foundation for the emergence of pragmatism. Menand points out in the book that the Civil War exposed the dangers of absolutist thinking, and the rise of pragmatism was meant to break free from the absolutist views of principles and truth. A key purpose of pragmatism is to prevent people from resorting to violence under the influence of belief. Additionally, the author analyzes the development of modern science in the United States, particularly Darwin's theory of evolution and statistical theory. The first four parts of the book are biographical sketches of the four founding figures of pragmatism: their family lives, temperaments, education, and cultural backgrounds. The latter part introduces important theories and perspectives related to them in the 20th century. This is a book that tells the story of ideas and values that changed the way Americans think and live.