Pragmatism and the Political Economy of Cultural Revolution, 1850–1940

“[Livingston’s] discussions, often lengthy and learned, of marginalist economic theory, James’s use of the term 'cash-value,' Lewis Mumford’s misguided romanticism, Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie, and the New Woman are, quite simply, brilliant.” — American Historical Review

“[A] provocative juxtaposition of economic and intellectual history.” — Journal of American History

“Pragmatism and the Political Economy of Cultural Revolution is an achievement of considerable sophistication and virtuosity. It is in some ways a pathbreaking cultural study, filled with boldly original arguments and provocative reinterpretations of familiar material.” — Indiana Magazine of History

“This is a remarkably compelling example of cross-disciplinary work. An expert in social and economic history, Livingston has reached deeply into the resources of literary and cultural theory to produce a new narrative and analytic frame for understanding the world we live in. This book will greatly reward all serious scholars and students of American culture.” — Jonathan Arac, University of Pittsburgh

“Few books are as ambitious as James Livingston’s study of the cultural revolution that, he persuasively demonstrates, took place in the United States . . . between 1890 and 1920. Livingston engages with boundless energy and intelligence technicalities of economic development, the nation’s literary traditions, thorny philosophical questions, and finally debates about the most effective way to conduct cultural analysis.” — Nineteenth-Century Prose

“Provocative, polemical, scolding, prophetic, Livingston’s book proposes a brilliant new interpretation of the origins and character of modernity in the United States. . . . An integrated work of criticism and history, Pragmatism and the Political Economy of Cultural Revolution raises a host of issues in the process of teaching its lessons, not least of which is its own example of cultural studies as history with an eye on the future.” — Alan Trachtenberg, from the Foreword

“This book ranks among those of first importance in the interpretation of modern American intellectual history, and because it is especially rich in relating intellectual history to economic, social, and cultural history, it is of similar importance in the interpretation of modern American civilization more broadly.” — Martin J. Sklar, Bucknell University

“James Livingston’s new book brilliantly reanimates the vocabulary of American pragmatism and brings into new alignment America’s greatest contribution in philosophy with our economic and social history.” — Richard Poirier, Rutgers, The State University

“With this book, James Livingston joins the very select company of Americanists who have successfully initiated a dialogue between economic and cultural history. He rethinks the transition from proprietary to corporate capitalism, and from producer to consumer society. . . . This is a dazzling, innovative interpretation — admirable in its sweep and fascinating in its details and local insights. Livingston writes memorably across a wide range of disciplines, and he does so without ever sacrificing complexity. A remarkable achievement.” — Michael T. Gilmore, Brandeis University