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Mentioned in 5 episodes

The Metaphysical Club

A Story of Ideas in America

Book • 2001

This book delves into the intellectual and cultural history of late 19th- and early 20th-century America, focusing on the lives and ideas of four key figures: Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., William James, Charles Sanders Peirce, and John Dewey.

It explores how these thinkers, associated with the informal 'Metaphysical Club' in Cambridge, Massachusetts, contributed to the development of pragmatism.

The book also examines the broader social and historical context, including the impact of the American Civil War and the emergence of new scientific disciplines like statistics and evolutionary biology.

Menand's work is praised for its detailed biographical accounts and its insightful analysis of how these thinkers shaped modern American thought.

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 5 episodes

Mentioned by

William Green

as a book about pragmatic philosophy.

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Mentioned by

Noah Feldman

as a Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Metaphysical Club.

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Mentioned by

Jonah Goldberg

as a book he has read.

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Mentioned as an example of extraordinary group portraits.

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Mentioned by

Brett McKay

as the author of a book that profiles the lives and thinking of the members of the Metaphysical Club.

The Metaphysical Club

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