期刊名称:European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy
电子版ISSN:2036-4091
出版年度:2016
卷号:8
期号:2
出版社:Associazone Pragma
摘要:Although not known as a philosopher of history, George Herbert Meadwrote and taught seriously about the nature of the past and about historicalinvestigation throughout his career. The paper identifies the major documentarysources and interpretive literature with which to reconstruct Mead’s radicallysocial and dynamic conceptualization of history and extends beyond the existingliterature to develop striking implications of Mead’s approach in response topossible criticisms and challenges. By connecting Mead’s writings on history withhis broader social theory of action, democracy, and consciousness, the paper showshow Mead provides a novel grounding of our understandings of history in ongoingsocial processes and suggests that better historical knowledge may be related toparticipatory, inclusive social practices. As a result, historians have a responsibilityto social reconstruction and society’s self-reflection, in Mead’s view. Because ofthe novel ways in which Mead’s approach explores the relationship between historyand social progress he warrants renewed attention and scrutiny from researchersand theorists of history.