In this Book
- The Drama of Possibility: Experience as Philosophy of Culture
- Book
- 2007
- Published by: Fordham University Press
- Series: American Philosophy
summary
This book traces the trajectory of John J. McDermott's philosophical career through a selection of his essays. Many were originally occasional pieces and address specific issues in American thought and culture. Together they constitute a mosaic of McDermott's philosophy, showing its roots in an American conception of experience. Though he draws heavily on the thought of William James and the pragmatists, McDermott has his own unique perspective on philosophy and American life. He presents this to the reader in exquisitely crafted prose. Drawing inspiration from American history, from existentialist themes, and from personal experiences, he offers a dramatic consideration of our culture's failures and successes.McDermott crosses disciplinary boundaries to draw on whatever works to help make sense of theissues with which he is dealing-issues rooted in medical practice, political events, pedagogical habits, and the worlds of the arts. His work thus resists simple categorization. It is precisely this that makes his vibrant prose appealing to so many both inside and outside the world of American philosophy.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Title Page, Copyright Page
- pp. iii-iv
- Table of Contents
- pp. v-vii
- Acknowledgments
- p. ix
- Part 2: Environing
- p. 141
- Part 3: Turning
- p. 219
- Part 4: Bequeathing
- p. 305
- 16. Hast Any Philosophy in Thee, Shepherd?
- pp. 309-317
- 20. The Aesthetic Drama of the Ordinary
- pp. 390-402
- Part 5: Teaching
- p. 403
- 25. Trumping Cynicism with Imagination
- pp. 476-491
Additional Information
ISBN
9780823247745
Related ISBN(s)
9780823226627
MARC Record
OCLC
733997318
Pages
416
Launched on MUSE
2012-12-20
Language
English
Open Access
No