John Dewey’s Ethical Theory

<p>This book provides a wide-ranging systematic and comprehensive approach to the moral philosophy of John Dewey one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century. It does so by focusing on his greatest achievement in this field: the <i>Ethics </i>he jointly published with James Hayden Tufts in 1908 and then republished in a heavily revised version in 1932.</p><p>The essays in this volume are divided into two distinct parts. The first features essays that provide a running commentary on the chapters of the 1932 <i>Ethics </i>written by Dewey. Each chapter is introduced situated within a historical perspective and then its main achievements are highlighted and discussed. The second part of the book interprets the <i>Ethics </i>and demonstrates its contemporary relevance and vitality. The essays in this part situate the <i>Ethics </i>in the broader interpretive frameworks of Dewey’s philosophy American pragmatism and 20th-century moral theory at large. Taken together these essays show that far from being a mere survey of moral theories the 1932 <i>Ethics </i>presents the theoretical highpoint in Dewey’s thinking about moral philosophy.</p><p>This book features contributions by some of the most influential Dewey scholars from North America and Europe. It will be of keen interest to scholars and students of American pragmatism ethics and moral philosophy and the history of 20th-century philosophy.</p>