An Appraisal of John Dewey's Philosophy: Pragmatism Versus Marxism

170 Pages·2016·15.75 MB·English

by  George Novack

GEORGE NOVACK te ane of the
cotstanding seialiat esholare in tho Une
Sauce He his wonteibuted ly cues
ptiodicala over the laet four dscales and
ne am au Goivesstcee inthe United
Serre, Conada, api, Aurlealia and
Meio

i is also well known se sn snevgeric
Astertor fal Thelin ath inthe Ute,
‘State and abroad. In 1957 Be wim wre
‘Sutil wits on Dewey in establishing the
Entermationai Comminean of Taguig ule
Une Mowocne Bias

Wie Lieeary” collaborators have
Anche quel noted Tiyan az C. Weight
‘Mile Toane Dastecher, und Bones! Mandal,
fide aa paitem ‘utrocaeiions ty many
hw Fglish-editoe of Lean ‘Troteky’=
‘works. If was Teorey webu nuggesid he
Cinéeviake a Mareieyenitgue of the Draw:
; ruse method

‘Progmation versus Morse te the

crown ure bya Long ea of west
fm philewiphy. Raclier books include the
Dovalst introduction to dhe Foie of Macs
fm, fhe Origins of Atenatinn, Boye)
fm vit Ty. Fesiution, and Biman,
‘ans Sociolisn; bo whee cite Bxcteatiae
i wernus Marit, Ua marke on hivens
Inciude Ternary and “Revolttor ant
Cnderstandling History.

Be
An appraisal of
dohn Dewey’ phi

Pragmatism
Marxi

GEORGE NOVACK

PATHFINDER PRESS, INC, NEW YORK
Gunshot Pod Pra

Revaic ag
Contents

Tulendvetion 7

1 Peagrantiom: America’s Natioral Ilesouty

2, Dewer ani the Progressive Moverninl 33

3. Fen Paritaninin to Praemalion 12
ferlugieal Souroes of Loes’s Thougtt 35

Poiern, anes, aid ee Chiciagn Behool 67

"The Incorsiatencis of Toseramentaliom 7S

Nevey'a Cunciidions of Nature aad Sexe R

5. Lesey's Fogies! Method 116

"Uh Trmtnuntentaliee Theory of Knosdedae 161

10, Hhaory, Sociecs. and Paitine 20

2, Prngivasive kine 221

2U, Daeness Viows on Pibica 218,

2A. Inarmumentiliom Pul to the Tear UN

14, Dowostsmm und Maraians 20

1 ‘the Motachysien of Booryenis Hemoesaey 289

16. A New Boal for Ameriann Pbilawophy 2

Tiingeaphy 308

Tres 513
1 is atl purl In defond the old aosiety with de
‘trial an Sntlletant macthodesalerte im the
Dat, Ib ia absolwealy anthit able hat thie old acl
fan he overtinewe nd» nesr ene cnatasied Wid
First vetialiy apsaing the cement mee

Leon teks, fs Define of Macadver

1 the ruling und the oppressed alamerts jn
‘ovale tun, if thoae who wish to salto Te ste
‘a nd thoee exicerned rn chemo, had, wen
hey becawe uetinolate, the eatme BhibaOph, vs
right welt he sheptcal of ta dutellstanl inter

Jeb Devtey, Phikaply ant utenton,
Introduction

“This bask is x steal examination of a man's work, thiod of
thoughts,» pilission, w socal growin. 2 yrriod in Ameaiean
Sie, ond n stags of capitalist seh

Tite roan is Jeon Deep the method of thoughe ie paagruuinoy
hieinss anencatian, fre povlesakin ie aeademir philowophe, the
tose loger ix Une isellctnel mide casa. che tao ae frm che
Cioil War @ the ullernatt of the Second Burk Wax, and ehe
Diese of rxpialiam fa ita Tuneermalian for. sompritio into
rrnwapoky ed imprison

ifs cigar ie mado fim ie theoxetiool stirilpuint of
‘Mutsiemn fom the soeial Wiewpoine of the wtrking clean, set
top the policeal peace nf lve movement sain,

Prseunetiom or iis gaven, empindin ie the phaleenghy of
mary ralsaivele enlightone agheldees of uurgenis rosiety
[mong the Rglishepeakiag poopie A yeneralized view uf Hho
ror such ag this, inonrpueattay a aperinl wsthd of thoushé,
The suprenr aondaet of &eivieotion—or oF a dislinndien age
wind grouping within ik Sine mio nevopiee the strmit of
illu! tise st fons nut snd 03 splenthd ielaton. Evers
Earstle shilvenhigs) schoo! is wonencad by wcitipls Ting
Fons nita the he sca vegsniena and with wow oe anatler
ite eonlonding forces

"The minin ivan contained imu philveepate. sys und
‘ormalate Bp itn tho ave arom uf ie manta processes
fapmrepriate to ite society nl tk Beading class. “thos fel
loneumitant expression ix many ouser parasite, auch ak eign
(or lack of i). che ava, seine, ltratare, and mode. Theee
Aiverse sapecte: of ealevral ifs sce organically conned,
reciprocally influencing and reinforcing one aller,

The taste and tenets of a philosmhicsl chook mle the
parchokagy and sorimente ula mycotic ast of pepe rmbued with
1 duit cobective will und aniuittad hy hopes, fesee. sympa
his. antipathies, ond Ute of epueiie kind. Thur forms of
fuinscimusnoas. thelr puesoms, thet ineématians havo geowe ia
ofthe social sarrmndinga vldch molded them aafndivaluale and
ondiiunod their development fa panticulur ways, Yhave ‘ts buen
fon pest of tei foal espouse In Dl envinatnent

Sine nivilze secietne are op into contending elaea fora
Tums, caeh dllferent ate of lrnd of ideas nenesonaly
represents he slundpoint. introws, alma, aid utlook af a
fdistinet magment of avcinry, though ellen under the guise of
spotking fo soctely og x whole. Thin mach eizaficant conta
rats schol of phHoacphy beromes ideatind with a conelattve
pnhlical tendency und social pegrom. Pragmaacis in povtcular
hase Hoon hound up with Trogrestvit, Hbeulisn, and the
‘tomo of capitalism,

‘Finally, such stats a edie grows wul-of un coonwmny bowl
on a aven Ope of property and mode a? prodzetinn, When the
totaly ofits phoxomene ix probed ta the olla. ua anion
tain of causation won be plosel Thwaes the heghta of
philosophy und the material eubatmictt “Now modes ih
fconomic uctivity chonge the circumstances of life snd the
svinday relations of people Thoso give rine is new need
interests, and habite. new impulses, ni firme of Popular ord
luis eoneciousnews. Torpver vague and onerystaltl met,
hogs are at variunes wit oxlublished way nf thous, Cling,
‘nd sation, Such sliringa the bewnm of th ei order kexsrate
new worial atoggles, oppositional religciw sind poitical move,
rornea, difernnt moral siundaeds, evel tendabcies in the arts,
Innovations in die wciencea_ AM! Gigs cunverts in the cuttore of
fhe people. provide the iments und tho imprias for Sie
individual and collective philosophizing which timverte Diem
fama Imiader and deopr abstrart cena, Hirough thece eneralien
Finns, the premises, positions end perspectives af the marvenaee
of Ghia ur that clase sre zendered tore elegr snd explicit
finally fabricated into an allwncompassing world wen,

"The groban of the reltions between plilesoghy and een
in mod vomplicated and aifcule bythe muy inermediats Ske
ft pork beter these extsemes of wuvlal Lf, Tair Lies seo far
from nimple or direc

"A ow social slase dose mol er into eaiatonc wits a reads.
marie sien! of dae worl mereapouding tte teal conto and
Conefitatioe, Quite the contrary. At the begianing Iais budding
fheeation may hove wx diterted aed inadeguate & icture uf the
aocinl tp and ite potion sd prompect i i ae a cd docs of
the world aroend i The elaae's Aline conceztions avec be
Chiveratid inthe coun of ite nessaies and evolution by"
Spetialils in Una ine nthe broad nocial division of Laboe under
Tapitlism, thee ia thi Catction of profsaianal Haley Tike
akan Dewey

"in hia Natebooks ths Tulian Maret Gramsci expire hat
the funelin of eaninert eiddleciaso intllwiualy a5, to
Plshutaos avi nf he world hat wuld mable choroling chisct0
‘Min, the allegiance aad wwaent at tho luwer ondera to the
Inutitueene ane which ther Hye. Thu Ceooes irae place
tiny of histor, which iranalated tho collude of the daminant
flats into sperative langange, boltered the sndilectual and
trons} hegemony of the Talian bouryennin. and ‘usciicd Ue
Tooderole ncrrsana af ty Jlrs wine. Dowey"e roxtrnnentaliat
ployee. compwrnile coin che very different eeting uf the
United state.

[Bach fresh trond of tone stares by subjecting the prosiating
smock af eee toa exial Biamernburment. Ts developers iore
Ce ensrely reir certain trediimal propositions, They ale over
Uihers, recasting then int tew forme vd eting thee il
han ronlants Phage aeqwielioad tea the past re uted sith
Dre iseoveriey and demands of thn visiog elags. util
tlitacivady new combination wf eqnceptions hor hey stented
‘Thoe pramnadem savas to tara with evrine Amenionn achuobs
thougt, With the Bulich smpiicad trdtion, with Eutopean
bpositiiem, wth Teant, and, through Dowey, fo ome ene wit
Hiegclaniona It was hwavily inthuencod yy Darviniam une
imoderp srienun La past it aeprinled a eagdon oguinsl certain
Tasecte of these Tine of thous, ia purl a continuation wad
fetes of che

"All these vanione strand weve siovan together ail eu tbe
ressin: of the reformist eerily uf the Atoerian mile elas,
‘elope tagrirement shaped the essential subscance of progena
Tum and nnarued ot iy path of evolution, Tifreataacial foros
10 Prasat sermus Moraion

4 dilfeont citcumstunces can ernplay the aame philosophies, or
portions nf thers, for diferent ende. Consider the vary diferent
eee thar haw init mado of Hogl's philoonphy i Knland
Tely. Germany, and th United. States, The neoHeglion
hiluwophers of die Prnglish uniseesities in the late cinstoenth
funfury sh what they tank from Hegel» prop ep an tabi
idkelem in philowiphy and conservitiam in polite They have
Ten aptly ehuractenied ae “Hegelian waiter celerste”” Cries
adopted Tet fdr in hia epiritlistic historic to serve
‘onetitutional iberatiam in Toly, Ea that very pts period Dew
wear reshaping hia lurrewinge foun Hegel te aie the docerinas of
instranentalien and middleclass Poogreitiviein Ameria
polis Before him Mur and Rayela had tured the Hegelian
Sigler wight ido up fo wees mateiaints und the ait of the
revalutionney working dae

‘8 philogophy hich aten from std Lilly spc lacs ness
toon vot Tonme a pussive ypeuluce at ebiphensmanen
Enygindesed ty. givun hieeoricad, eoonoic, plinenl, scent
‘nd imellatual conditions, (becomes in ity tam an inflacatiel
aun srhich stains its opps uptin nent valle, Snagires
the thinking of large tayert uf poople, and gles their coemclons
conduct. Entering at an wctie factor Inve socal fill areca av a
swengen in the steugalos of euntonding cary feres. ln our Gime
this hac boon the tole of pragmatizm in the Unitnd Saves,
‘xislentiulion tq Westorn Eurupo, aud Marainn op a orld sl,

Anov of Sdruw cuntarrning to die equicements of vera class
flag beens solid daring ie develapinent by coutarl ith
ther concuptlonm and. other social Loreen, If jwugentisn
originntrd in ropulvion drome vulva atistocmdie and evulely
acral enon uf tush late teed rem the Marae
lila evaninuantly pot Forward the elaine uf the revalutury
work. "Phe oscllations in the sesilinny cl pragmatixm aa it
eaived were nota, us ite megonents sinew helieved, the
contname of ungryudiced rewtirehea iste reels, bul go. of
vorsing vbiow attractions «ad vepulvions, These miored. the
gitsliony ef middie vias elements who veers conght betwen the
plotoerasy and tno pooleerive ad tril to find pete. a
‘avianie wich thane Laken htt repeeeentativn of thee pls
Te

‘nay, x philosophy ehaes she distiny of the elas formation
it service. Born und bed [rum che sas Wout else, rows
power and popularity alone ith it, Aa the tieeumetancee und