John J. Stuhr, a leading voice in American philosophy, sets forth a view of pragmatism as a personal work of art or fashion. Stuhr develops his pragmatism by putting pluralism forward, setting aside absolutism and nihilism, opening new perspectives on democracy, and focusing on love. He creates a space for a philosophy that is liable to failure and that is experimental, pluralist, relativist, radically empirical, radically democratic, and absurd. Full color illustrations enhance this lyrical commitment to a new version of pragmatism.
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Expressivism and Pragmatism
1. Chance Vistas and Sincerity in the Cosmic Labyrinth
2. Philosophies as Fashions
3. Does Philosophy Progress?: Criticism without Critique
4. Convergence and Difference: Immanent Pluralism
5. It's All Relative: Beyond Absolutism and Nihilism
6. Expressions of Nature: Refashioning the Hudson River School
7. Old Ideals Crumble: War and the Limits of Philosophy
8. Democracy as Public Experiment: Beyond Mission Accomplished and Mission Impossible
9. A Terrible Love of Hope: Toward Peace Before Death
10. Absurd Pragmatism
11. The Spring Collection: Intermedia Moralia; or, a Romance of Our Incoherence
Notes
Index