© Columbia University Press
The Undiscovered Dewey: Religion, Morality, and the Ethos of Democracy
November, 2008
Cloth, 368 pages, 0 halftones, 0 color illus., 0 line drawings, 0 tables
ISBN: 978-0-231-14486-5
$45.00
/ £26.50
The Undiscovered Dewey explores the profound influence of evolution and its corresponding ideas of contingency and uncertainty on John Dewey's philosophy of action, particularly its argument that inquiry proceeds from the uncertainty of human activity. Dewey separated the meaningfulness of inquiry from a larger metaphysical story concerning the certainty of human progress and connected this story to the way in which our reflective capacities aid us in improving our lives. He therefore launched a new understanding of the modern self that encouraged intervention in social and natural environments, but which nonetheless demanded courage and humility because of the intimate relationship between action and uncertainty.
Melvin L. Rogers explicitly connects Dewey's theory of inquiry to his religious, moral, and political philosophy. He argues that, contrary to common belief, Dewey in fact sought a place for religious commitment within a democratic society that was sensitive to modern pluralism. Against those who see Dewey as insensitive to moral conflict, Rogers elucidates Dewey's appreciation for incommensurability among our ethical commitments. His deep appreciation for modern pluralism, argues Rogers, led the philosopher to articulate a way to negotiate the relationship between experts and the public so that power did not lapse into domination. In the end, what emerges is a vision in which Dewey seriously confronted the complexity of our religious, moral, and political lives through an abiding faith in the reflective and contestable character of inquiry.