The Things in Heaven and Earth An Essay in Pragmatic Naturalism [Hardcover]

The Things in Heaven and Earth develops and applies the American philosophical naturalist tradition of the mid20th century, specifically the work of three of the most prominent figures of what is called Columbia Naturalism: John Dewey, John Herman Randall Jr., and Justus Buchler. The book argues for the philosophical value and usefulness of this underappreciated tradition for a number of contemporary theoretical and practical issues, such as the modernist/postmodernist divide and debates over philosophical constructivism.

Pragmatic naturalism offers a distinctive ontology of constitutive relations. Relying on Buchlers ordinal ontology and on the relationality implicit in Deweys instrumentalism, the book gives a detailed account of this approach in chapters that deal with issues in systematic ontology, epistemology, constructivism and objectivity, philosophical theology, art, democratic theory, foreign policy, education, humanism, and cosmopolitanism.

In this well-crafted volume John Ryder makes a strong and elegant case for a version of philosophical naturalism that avoids reductive materialism and builds on the best ideas of both modernism and postmodernism. Expanding on the insights of John Dewey, John Herman Randall, Jr., and Justus Buchler, among others, he constructs a muscular naturalism that is fully capable of producing salutary and enduring effects in the areas of religion, the arts, and political life.The Things in Heaven and Earth is a development and application of the Columbia Naturalism of John Dewey, John Herman Randall, Jr., and Justus Buchler. The chapters deal with systematic ontology, epistemology, constructivism and objectivity, philosophical theology, art, democratic theory, foreign policy, education, humanism, and cosmopolitanism.In this thought-provoking volume, John Ryder defends an original version of pragmatic naturalism that has a rich yet partly neglected history. He reintroduces the tradition of 'Columbia Naturalism' - nolÓh