William James and the Quest for an Ethical Republic

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-x

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2. Introduction

   • Trygve Throntveit

   Pages 1-7

3. The Ethical Origins of James’s Pragmatism

   • Trygve Throntveit

   Pages 9-38

4. Religion and the Refinement of James’s Pragmatism

   • Trygve Throntveit

   Pages 39-81

5. The Ethical Republic

   • Trygve Throntveit

   Pages 83-108

6. Citizen James

   • Trygve Throntveit

   Pages 109-138

7. Legacies and Prospects

   • Trygve Throntveit

   Pages 139-168

8. Back Matter

   Pages 169-232

   PDF

Pragmatist philosopher William James has long been deemed a dubious guide to ethical reasoning. This book overturns such thinking, demonstrating the coherence of James's efforts to develop a flexible but rigorous framework for individuals and societies seeking freedom, meaning, and justice in a world of interdependence, uncertainty, and change.

• individual
• liberty
• William James

“Enriched by a wealth of bibliographical documentation – the author has a solid grip on James’s unpublished materials and manuscripts, which he puts in productive dialogue with most well known pages of his work –, the book will be both a superb introduction to James’s practical philosophy for newcomers as well as an indispensable guide for more seasoned readers of his oeuvre.” (Sarin Marchetti, European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy, Vol. 7 (2), 2015)

Trygve V.R. Throntveit is a Non-Resident Fellow of U.S. Foreign Policy and International Security in the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College, USA.

Policies and ethics