Pragmatism has been called 'the chief glory of our country's intellectual tradition' by its supporters and 'a dog's dinner' by its detractors. Acknowledging pragmatism's direct ties to American imperialism and expansionism, this title considers the role pragmatism plays, for better or worse, in discussions of nationalism, war, race, and community.

AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Community in the Age of EmpireChad Kautzer and Eduardo MendietaPart 1. Transformative Communities and Enlarged Loyalties 1. When Philosophy Paints Its Blue on Gray: Irony and the Pragmatist EnlightenmentRobert Brandom2. The Unexamined Frontier: Dewey, Pragmatism, and America EnlargedDavid H. Kim3. Pragmatism and Solidarity with the PastMax Pensky4. Mead on Cosmopolitanism, Sympathy, and War Mitch Aboulafia5. Deliberating about the Past: Decentering Deliberative DemocracyJames BohmanPart 2. The Racial Nation6. Race, Nation, and Nation-State: Tocqueville on (U.S.) American DemocracyLucius T. Outlaw, Jr.7. William James on Nation and RaceHarvey Cormier8. Race, Culture, and Black Self-DeterminationTommie Shelby9. Prophetic Vision and Trash Talkin': Pragmatism, Feminism, and Racial PrivilegeShannon SullivanPart 3. The Tragedy and Comedy of Empire10. The Unpredictable American EmpireRichard Rorty 11. Transcending the "Gory Cradle of Humanity": War, Loyalty, and Civic Action in Royce and JamesEduardo Mendieta12. Pragmatism and WarRobert Westbrook13. Laughter against Hubris: A Preemptive StrikeCynthia WillettInterview with Cornel West, Conducted by Eduardo MendietaBibliographyList of ContributorsIndex

This collection on American philosophy, American identity, and race will undoubtedly make a substantive contribution to the literature and it will be well received by scholars and teachers of many disciplines.