America's Public Philosopher - by John Dewey (Paperback)

About the Book

John Dewey was America's greatest public philosopher. This book gathers the clearest and most powerful of Dewey's public writings and shows how they continue to speak to the challenges we face today.

Book Synopsis

John Dewey was America's greatest public philosopher. A prolific and influential writer for both scholarly and general audiences, he stands out for the remarkable breadth of his contributions. Dewey was a founder of a distinctly American philosophical tradition, pragmatism, and he spoke out widely on the most important questions of his day. He was a progressive thinker whose deep commitment to democracy led him to courageous stances on issues such as war, civil liberties, and racial, class, and gender inequalities.

This book gathers the clearest and most powerful of Dewey's public writings and shows how they continue to speak to the challenges we face today. An introductory essay and short introductions to each of the texts discuss the current relevance and significance of Dewey's work and legacy. The book includes forty-six essays on topics such as democracy in the United States, political power, education, economic justice, science and society, and philosophy and culture. These essays inspire optimism for the possibility of a more humane public and political culture, in which citizens share in the pursuit of lifelong education through participation in democratic life. America's Public Philosopher reveals John Dewey as a powerful example for scholars seeking to address a wider audience and a much-needed voice for all readers in search of intellectual and moral leadership.

Review Quotes

In these troubled times, Eric Thomas Weber has compiled a magnificent set of essays by John Dewey, the preeminent American public philosopher of the twentieth century. With the help of Weber's commentaries, all Americans will be able to see how Dewey still speaks to us today, with wisdom and urgency.--Elizabeth Anderson, author of Private Government: How Employers Rule Our Lives (and Why We Don't Talk about It)

In this collection Eric Weber presents expertly curated essays by one of America's great public intellectuals. John Dewey's insights into the core issues of American life, then as now, are as fresh today as when they were first published. They provide ample evidence of his continuing relevance for our exceptional time.--Larry A. Hickman, editor of The Correspondence of John Dewey

John Dewey is the American philosopher of democracy. He understood that democracy, making choices together, is an end in itself, and that attempts to short-circuit democratic processes in the name of something else, whether it's ethnic nationalism or globalization, diminish us as human beings. His wisdom never goes out of style. There is no better (or worse) time to read him again.--Louis Menand, author of The Metaphysical Club

This is an outstanding collection, unique and most timely, that should receive attention from the sphere of public policy and politics. Weber has chosen writings that speak to America and the world today.--John Robert Shook, coeditor of Dewey's Enduring Impact: Essays on America's Philosopher

About the Author

Eric Thomas Weber is associate professor of educational policy studies and evaluation at the University of Kentucky. He is the author of Uniting Mississippi: Democracy and Leadership in the South (2015) and Democracy and Leadership: On Pragmatism and Virtue (2013), among other books. He is executive director of the Society of Philosophers in America and cohost of the Philosophy Bakes Bread radio show and podcast.