Habits of Hope

"In this original contribution to the American philosophical tradition, Patrick Shade makes a strong argument for the necessity of hope in a cynical world that too often rejects it as foolish. While most accounts of hope situate it in a theological context, Shade presents a theory rooted in the pragmatic thought of such American philosophers as C. S. Peirce, William James, and John Dewey. The resulting vision of hope is therefore naturalistic and rooted in our interactions with social and natural environments.". "Shade shows that hoping can be made practical without losing its capacity to transcend practical limitations. He first discusses the particular hopes we pursue and then turns to the habits of hope - persistence, resourcefulness, and courage - that are vital to their realization. Each of these habits can be developed individually, but their coordination and mutual reinforcement is most desirable. Indeed, habits of hope are the basis for developing hopefulness, a complex habit that nurtures and sustains us even when we fail to realize particular hopes. Hopefulness, Shade maintains, helps us to avoid the paralysis of despair. Without it, the life of hope is greatly diminished."--BOOK JACKET.