Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 22:23:30 -0400 (EDT)
From: Andrew Wayne Austin <aaustin-AT-utkux.utcc.utk.edu>
Subject: Re: M-I: The Cultural Front. Hyphenated Marxisms.


Carrol,

Actually pragmatism dovetails nicely with Marxism. Mead and Dewey's
pragmatism was dialectical and historical. Mead's theory of the self as a
product of sociohistorical forces was very similar to Marx's earlier
anthropological writings. Dewey's philosophy of truth is dialectical and
focused on praxis. US progressive thought stamped Dewey, Mead, and James'
pragmatism. It was a pragmatism that, while finding its roots in the
British liberal tradition, as did much of Marx's thought, was quite
different from liberalism in many ways. Looking back, it may appear a
Marxism that incorporates a good deal of American pragmatism is eclectic,
but viewed in historical terms, both Marxism and US pragmatic socialism
have common roots.

Andrew Austin




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