Drawing on the work of popular American writers, American philosophers, and Continental thinkers, this book provides a new interpretation of pragmatism and American philosophy. The book critically examines the pragmatism of American philosophers such as Emerson, Peirce, James, Royce, Santayana, and Dewey, as well as the postmodernism of Derrida, Deleuze, Foucault, and Lyotard, and addresses pressing individual and social problems in genuinely original ways that will be useful to everyone working in both traditions in philosophy, literary theory, political economy, and cultural studies. Written in an engaging, passionate style, Genealogical Pragmatism develops compelling new directions for critical thought, personal life, and community.