A study of American pragmatism, this book looks at all the different stages from the Emersonian roots, through the dilemma of the mid-century pragmatic intellectual up to the decline and resurgence of American pragmatism. It also discusses prophetic pragmatism.

Part 1 The Emersonian prehistory of American pragmatism: Emerson on power (and tradition); Emerson on provocation (and the market); Emerson on personality (and race); Emerson as organic intellectual. Part 2 The historic emergence of American pragmatism: Peirce on scientific method, community and Christian love; James on individuality, reconciliation and heroic energies. Part 3 The coming-of-age of American pragmatism - John Dewey: Dewey on historical consciousness, critical intelligence nad creative democracy. Part 4 The dilemna of the mid-century pragmatic intellectual: the Deweyan political intellectual, Sidney Hook; the Neo-Deweyan radical social critic, C.Wright Mills; the Jamesian organic intellectual, W.E.B. Du Bois; the Jamesian cultural critic, Reinhold Niebuhr; the pragmatist as Arnoldian literary critic, Lionel Trilling. Part 5 The decline and resurgence of American pragmatism - W.V. Quine and Richard Rorty. Part 6 Prophetic pragmatism - cultural criticism and political engagement: Roberto Unger and third-wave left romanticism; the challenge of Michel Foucault; tragedy, tradition and political praxis; prophetic pragmatism and postmodernity.