Ethics and Philosophical Critique in William James

Marchetti offers a revisionist account of James's contribution to moral thought in the light of his pragmatic conception of philosophical activity. He sketches a composite picture of a Jamesian approach to ethics revolving around the key notion and practice of a therapeutic critique of one's ordinary moral convictions and style of moral reasoning.

Marchetti's book not only reminds us of pragmatism's broader issue, but also widens pragmatism itself in putting James into pluralistic conversation with other therapeutic and transformative tendencies of recent moral philosophy. (Colin Koopman, Philosophical Quarterly, Issue 264, July, 2016)

Marchetti's book is an intriguing representative of what can be regarded as a new wave of studies on James's moral thought. I do find the book a valuable contribution to our understanding of James. valuable reading not only for James scholars but for anyone with an interest in ethics . (Sami Pihlström, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, ndpr.nd.edu, December, 2015)

Autorentext

Sarin Marchetti is Assistant Professor at Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy. He has written on ethics, metaphilosophy, pragmatism, and the history of analytic philosophy.

Inhalt
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction William James, the Moral Philosopher

1. Pragmatism, Therapy, and the Moral Life
2. Questioning Moral Theory and the Shape of Ethics
3. The Life of the Mind and the Practices of the Self
4. Truth, Experience, and the World Re-Enchanted
5. Ethical Conduct and Political Activity
   Conclusion The Seeds of a Revolution in Moral Philosophy
   Notes
   Bibliography
   Index