American Philosophy: An Encyclopedia

The Encyclopedia of American Philosophy provides coverage of the major figures, concepts, historical periods and traditions in American philosophical thought. Containing over 600 entries written by scholars who are experts in the field, this Encyclopedia is the first of its kind. It is a scholarly reference work that is accessible to the ordinary reader by explaining complex ideas in simple terms and providing ample cross-references to facilitate further study. The Encyclopedia of American Philosophy contains a thorough analytical index and will serve as a standard, comprehensive reference work for universities and colleges.

Topics covered include:

Great philosophers: Emerson, Dewey, James, Royce, Peirce, Santayana

Subjects: Pragmatism, Progress, the Future, Knowledge, Democracy, Growth, Truth

Influences on American Philosophy: Hegel, Aristotle, Plato, British Enlightenment, Reformation

Self-Assessments: Joe Margolis, Donald Davidson, Susan Haack, Peter Hare, John McDermott, Stanley Cavell

Ethics: Value, Pleasure, Happiness, Duty, Judgment, Growth

Political Philosophy: Declaration of Independence, Democracy, Freedom, Liberalism, Community, Identity

John Lachs is Centennial Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. He received his Ph. D. from Yale University in 1961. He taught at the College of William and Mary for eight years before moving to Vanderbilt. He is the author of Intermediate Man (1981), In love with Life (1998), Mind and Philosophers (1987), the Relevance of Philosophy to Life (1995), and A Community of Individuals (2003).

Robert B. Talisse is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. He earned his Ph. D. from City University of New York in 2001. He is the author of dozens of articles and two books, Democracy After Liberalism (2005) and A Pragmatist Philosophy of Democracy (2007).