The Social Relevance of Philosophy

"Colleen K. Flewelling examines eleven philosophers' arguments concerning the question of the social relevance of philosophy, placing each thinker in his appropriate cultural and historical context. Flewelling takes the Frankfurt School as an exemplary case: Its program, in so many words, was aimed at producing a complete theory of society. From this, Flewelling points to how philosophical theory and practice are interconnected in particular ways and at particular moments in the interest of her larger argument about the relevance of Western thought to society. The Social Relevance of Philosophy provides a concise yet thorough history of the debate on philosophy's role in society. It is essential reading across the humanities and social sciences."--BOOK JACKET.