John McGowan, “Pragmatist Politics: Making the Case for Liberal Democracy”

Discovery & Inspiration

John McGowan (NHC Fellow, 2017–18), John W. and Anna H. Hanes Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill In “Pragmatist Politics,” John McGowan suggests that perhaps the best response to the cynicism and despair that permeate contemporary American politics is a return to pragmatism. Offering an expansive vision of what the United States should be, McGowan combines the thinking of philosophers like John Dewey and William James with the ethos of comedy to imagine what American life could be like if we more fully embraced values such as love, forgiveness, and generosity that are too often left out of our political discourse. Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rND1RsZb3sI https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/virtual-book-club-pragmatist-politics-making-the-case-for-liberal-democracy/