NHC Virtual Book Talk: Pragmatist Politics: Making the Case for Liberal Democracy | National Humanities Center

Public Events

NHC Virtual Book Talk: Pragmatist Politics: Making the Case for Liberal Democracy

February 17, 2021

John McGowan (Fellow, 2017–18), John W. and Anna H. Hanes Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Pragmatism; Democracy; United States Politics; Political Theory

John McGowan

In Pragmatist Politics, John McGowan suggests that perhaps the best response to the cynicism and despair that permeate contemporary American politics is a return to pragmatism. Offering an expansive vision of what the United States should be, McGowan combines the thinking of philosophers like John Dewey and William James with the ethos of comedy to imagine what American life could be like if we more fully embraced values such as love, forgiveness, and generosity that are too often left out of our political discourse.

Listen to a podcast of this talk.

Watch the livestream recording.