Today in The Nation: The Pragmatist: "Christopher Hayes We get it: Barack Obama is pragmatic. But what does that really mean--politically and philosophically?
Pragmatism in common usage may mean simply a practical approach to problems and affairs. But it's also the name of the uniquely American school of philosophy whose doctrine is that truth is pre-eminently to be tested by the practical consequences of belief. What unites the two senses of the word is a shared skepticism toward certainties derived from abstractions--one that is welcome and bracing after eight years of a failed, faith-based presidency.
(Via The Nation: Top Stories.)
