The Active Life: Miller's Metaphysics of DemocracyThe ancient antagonism between the active and the contemplative lives is taken up in this innovative and wide-ranging examination of John William Miller’s effort to forge a metaphysics of democracy. The Active Life sheds new light on Miller’s actualist philosophy—its scope, its systematic character, and its dialectical form. Michael J. McGandy persuasively sets Miller’s actualism in the context of Hannah Arendt’s understanding of the active life and skillfully presents actualism as a response to Whitman’s challenge to craft a democratic form of metaphysics. McGandy concludes that Miller reveals how the philosophical and the political are inextricably connected, how there is no active life without the contemplative life, and that the contemplative life is founded in the active life. |
Contents
The Active and Contemplative Lives | 1 |
A Metaphysics of Democracy? | 13 |
Action | 39 |
Copyright | |
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absolute action active actual actualist addressed Arendt articulate artifacts authority autonomy basic Bucknell University causality claim cognitive Colapietro conception conflict consciousness constitutional contemplative criticism deeds defined democratic dialectical disclosure distinction Eleatic embodied empiricism environment essay establishes example experience fate finite finitude Folder forms of order freedom functioning objects G. W. F. Hegel human idea ideal implications important individual insofar institutions interpretation J. G. Fichte John William Miller liberal democracy local-control means metaphor metaphysics of democracy midworld Miller Papers Miller refers Miller remarks Miller writes moral moral universe nature one's ontological organization paradox particular person personhood philosophy philosophy of history political association possible practical pragmatism principle problem process of definition psychological question reflection relations responsible reveals revision Rorty Rorty's self-control semiotic sense signs social solipsism structure systematic things thought tion universal vehicle Williams College yardstick