Highroad Around Modernism

Robert Cummings Neville is Professor of Philosophy and Religion, and Dean of the School of Theology at Boston University. He is the author of Reconstruction of Thinking; Recovery of the Measure: Interpretation and Nature; New Essays in Metaphysics; The Puritan Smile: A Look Toward Moral Reflection; The Tao and the Daimon; Behind the Masks of God: An Essay Toward Comparative Theology; God the Creator: On the Transcendence and the Presence of God; and A Theology Primer, all published by SUNY Press.

• Preface Introduction: Why Speculative Philosophy Should Not Shut Down I. The Postmodernist DebateII. Modernity and ModernismIII. The End of PhilosophyIV. Ways around Modernism PART ONE: PHILOSOPHY AROUND MODERNISM One. Charles S. Peirce as a Non-Modernist Thinker I. Peirce's Rejection of Foundations: Hypothesis, Habits, and SignsII. Reality: Generality and the Habits of NatureIII. Speculative MetaphysicsIV. ReligionPeircean Postscript: Postmodernism Again Two. Alfred North Whitehead and Romanticism I. Nature: Mechanism and FreedomII. Modernism and FragmentationIII. Modernism: A Non-Postmodernist CritiqueIV. System's Way around Modernism Three. Metaphysics in the Twentieth Century I. Whitehead and the Basic IdeasII. Weiss and the Problematic of MetaphysicsIII. Metaphysics as PhilosophyIV. The American Highroad of Metaphysics Four. Contributions and Limits of Process Philosophy I. Speculative Philosophy and the Ontological QuestionII. Whitehead's Model of NatureIII. Enduring Personal Identity and the Texture of LifeIV. Value Five. Hegel and Whitehead on Totality I. Hegel: Finite and InfiniteII. Negative Dialectic: The Trick of the Modernist and PostmodernistIII. Whitehead: Totality in ExperienceIV. World and System Six. On Systems as Speculative Hypotheses I. Philosophy as SystemII. System as FallibleIII. System as TolerantIV. System as Engaged Seven. Reflections on American Philosophy I. Emerson on the Range of American Philosophic PracticeII. Nature, Books, and ActionIII. American Philosophy as World PhilsophyIV. A Role for the Professional Philosopher PART TWO: POLITICS AROUND MODERNISM Eight. Power, Revolution, and Religion I. Power and NarrativeII. The End of Narrative and PowerIII. The Road of Covenant TheologyIV. Covenant as Revolution Nine. Beyond Capitalist and Class Analysis I. The Need for New Theory in the Social SciencesII. Liberal Capitalism and Marxism: Rejection of Market and ClassIII. Metaphysics of Social AnalysisIV. On the Structure of Social Theory Ten. Freedom, Tolerance, and the Puritan Ethic I. The Principle of Universal Public ResponsibilityII. Puritan CommitmentIII. ToleranceIV. Freedom Eleven. Leadership, Responsibility, and Value I. ValueII. CourageIII. LeadershipIV. A Confession, a Caveat, and a Homily Twelve. Technology and the Richness of the World I. Natural Richness DeniedII. Infinite Denisty: An Ontological VisionIII. Infinite Density: A Cosmological VisionIV. Richness as the Infinite in the Finite Notes Bibliography Index

"Robert Neville's book is most welcome and most timely. It introduces a neglected but important voice to the debate on postmodernism — the voice of 'speculative pragmatism.' Neville shows convincingly that certain distinctively non-modernist forms of philosophy — from Peirce and Whitehead to Weiss and his own writing — do not fall under the scythe of postmodernist critique. Having never been modernist, they cannot rightly be rejected or dismissed in the company of views which they had themselves effectively criticized. In arguing for an extended (and renewed) hearing for a vital strand of philosophical thought, the author offers telling judgments of contemporary philosophers such as Derrida and Rorty — and behind them, Heidegger and Nietzsche. A forceful and engaging book." — Edward S. Casey"I think this is in all respects an exceptionally good book. Few authors are able to use tradition originally as has been done here. Moreover, the book has the potential to mark an important historical turn in late twentieth century thinking." — Douglas R. Anderson"It's hard to put down! Neville's style is elegant; his gentle wit interposes a chuckle in the midst of metaphysical profundities; his command of the philosophical, historical, and political literature is amazing and adds an unexpected richness to the text. The quagmire of post-modernism has reduced twenty-three centuries of Western metaphysical thought to the level of the silly. Others have attempted a rescue, but none so brilliantly as Neville." — Elizabeth M. Kraus