Pragmatism, Policy Science, and the State
The philosophy ofpragmatism is often cited as the source ofthe theoretical underpinnings of the contemporary policy sciences. However, an examination of the work of John Dewey reveals that pragmatism is incompatible with the conception of knowledge which now prevails in these sciences as well as the relationship currently established between this form of inquiry and the state. Fidelity to pragmatism requires a fundamental reconceptualization of the practice of social science and a reconsideration of the organization of knowledge and power in a democratic society.