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Democratic Hope: Pragmatism and the Politics of Truth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 May 2006

Peter T. Manicas
Affiliation:
University of Hawai‘i at Manoa

Extract

Democratic Hope: Pragmatism and the Politics of Truth. By Robert B. Westbrook. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2005. 272p. $29.95.

In this ambitious collection, Robert Westbrook aims to recover, from philosophical pragmatism, insight—and hope—regarding the promise of democracy. Following on his John Dewey and American Philosophy (1991), Dewey is surely his main man. Part One, “Pragmatism Old,” offers critical discussions of Dewey, Charles Peirce and William James. Part Two, “Pragmatism New,” treats recent writers who have identified themselves with pragmatism, including Hilary Putnam, Cheryl Misak, Cornel West, and Richard Posner. Richard Rorty is surely the main character in these accounts.

Type
BOOK REVIEWS: POLITICAL THEORY
Copyright
© 2006 American Political Science Association

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