Old—and New—Policy Analysis: A Pragmatic Re-Assessment from Dewey to 9/11

Abstract

Pragmatism is not new. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the pragmatic movement, embodied in such American authors as Charles Peirce (1839–1914), William James (1842–1910) and John Dewey (1859–1952), has developed various philosophical works and has been engaged in several theoretical disputes as well as political debates. Yet does pragmatism form part of only an American sensibility? Does it belong only to the past? This review essay will argue to the contrary. We will see to what extent pragmatism provides fruitful potential and inspiration for contemporary policy analysis in the United States and in Europe. This review essay will discuss actual issues and challenges within pragmatism by providing a critical reading of two recent books:Pragmatism and European Social Theory, edited by Patrick Baert and Bryan S. Turner (2007) andReconstructing Democracy, Recontextualizing Dewey: Pragmatism and Interactive Constructivism in the Twenty-first Century, edited by Jim Garrison (2008).