Nick Gall

A romantic oil painting featuring the pragmatist philosophers John Dewey and Richard Rorty sitting next to gentle streams multiplying away from them into the background.

Contrasting with hope in a fixed or eternal order, pragmatists John Dewey and Richard Rorty connect hope to continual growth and conversation.

Essays Philosophy

Dewey and Rorty: Sending Pragmatist Hopes in New Directions

November 3, 2022March 6, 2023 18 min read Nick Gall Hope, John Dewey, Meliorism, Pragmatism, Richard Rorty, William James

Contrasting with hope in a fixed or eternal order, pragmatists John Dewey and Richard Rorty connect hope to continual growth and conversation.

A romantic oil painting of three Victorian women overlooking majestic mountain peaks.

While pragmatists accept the tragic and boundless nature of a constantly changing and foundationless reality, William James offers hope in a naturalized theism.

Essays Philosophy

What Can Pragmatists Hope for in a Boundless World?

October 27, 2022March 2, 2023 20 min read Nick Gall Charles Sanders Peirce, Chauncey Wright, Hope, Meliorism, Pragmatism, William James

While pragmatists accept the tragic and boundless nature of a constantly changing and foundationless reality, William James offers hope in a naturalized theism.