A philosophical history of the idea of the ''Democratic Public'' in the United States: A provocative Emersonian and Deweyan pragmatic perspective

Journal/Book: Z Padagog. 1998; Am Hauptbahnhof 10, Postfach 1120, W-6940 Weinheim, Germany. Verlag Julius Beltz. 143-164.

Abstract: DEWEYAN pragmatism offers alternative theories of mind, self, and society that challenge the currently dominant ideology of the democratic public in the Unites States and elsewhere. By tracing DEWEY's thinking to its origin in the essays of RALPH WALDO EMERSON We catch a glimpse of what makes democracy somewhat unique in the U.S., for better and worse. We will also see how DEWEY appropriated and reconstructed EMERSON to develop his own theory of the democratic public. I will also examine DEWEY's response to the ''democratic realists'', especially WALTER LIPPMANN, who were skeptical of DEWEY's democratic ideal. This will provide a distant mirror for reflections on our own era. The paper concludes with some speculations about the future of the democratic public in the U.S. In the age of multinational cooperate capitalism.

Note: Article Garrison J, Virginia Polytech Inst & State Univ, Div Curriculum & Instruct, Coll Educ, Blacksburg,VA 24061 USA

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