Abstract

Eames has given us what is perhaps the best introduction to the pragmatic philosophies and the pragmatic philosophy of Peirce, James, Dewey, and Mead. He has succeeded in describing the thought of these four thinkers in such a way that both their individual distinctness and shared concerns and characteristics emerge. This masterful exposition is presented under four major headings: "Nature and Human Life," "Knowledge," "Value," and "Education." These are then further subdivided into a total of twenty chapters focussing on more specific questions which are presented with clarity and economy. Eames does not mechanically list the views of each thinker on every issue but rather each chapter is comprised of a fine integration and blending of their relevant views resulting in an organically unified response to fundamental questions. Since this is an expository rather than a critical introduction, Eames quite properly makes the views of the pragmatists themselves central and dominating. Using direct citation sparingly but effectively, he, for the most part, expresses their doctrines in his own language while maintaining a striking fidelity to the substance, tone, and texture of each philosopher's thought.