Christopher Phelps
Encyclopedia
Christopher Phelps is an American political and intellectual historian of the twentieth century. The subjects of his research and writing include philosophical pragmatism
, concepts of class
and labor
in social thought, the fate of the American Left
and the socialist ideal, and ideas of race in American and African American history
. Phelps teaches in the School of American
and Canadian Studies at the University of Nottingham
in England
, having previously taught history
at the Ohio State University
, the University of Oregon
, and Simon Fraser University
in Canada. He has received the Fulbright Award
twice, to teach philosophy
at the University of Pécs
in Hungary
in 2000 and American Studies
at the University of Łódź in Poland
in 2004-2005.
Pragmatism
Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition centered on the linking of practice and theory. It describes a process where theory is extracted from practice, and applied back to practice to form what is called intelligent practice...
, concepts of class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
and labor
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
in social thought, the fate of the American Left
American Left
The American Left consists of individuals and groups, including socialists, communists and anarchists, that have sought fundamental change in the economic, political and cultural institutions of the United States. Although left-wing ideologies came to the United States in the 19th century, there...
and the socialist ideal, and ideas of race in American and African American history
African American history
African-American history is the portion of American history that specifically discusses the African American or Black American ethnic group in the United States. Most African Americans are the descendants of captive Africans held in the United States from 1619 to 1865...
. Phelps teaches in the School of American
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
and Canadian Studies at the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, having previously taught history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, and Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
in Canada. He has received the Fulbright Award
Fulbright Award
The Fulbright Award is a scholarship awarded as part of the Fulbright Program to foster international research and collaboration. The program also awards a fellowship to Ph.D.'s to lecture and teach in foreign universities...
twice, to teach philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the University of Pécs
University of Pécs
The University of Pécs is the Hungarian university with the largest number of students and faculties.-History:...
in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in 2000 and American Studies
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
at the University of Łódź in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in 2004-2005.
Sole Author
- Young Sidney Hook: Marxist and Pragmatist, Cornell University Press, 1997; 2d ed., University of Michigan Press, 2005.
Edited or Introduced
- The Jungle, by Upton SinclairUpton SinclairUpton Beall Sinclair Jr. , was an American author who wrote close to one hundred books in many genres. He achieved popularity in the first half of the twentieth century, acquiring particular fame for his classic muckraking novel, The Jungle . It exposed conditions in the U.S...
, Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005. - Race and Revolution, by Max ShachtmanMax ShachtmanMax Shachtman was an American Marxist theorist. He evolved from being an associate of Leon Trotsky to a social democrat and mentor of senior assistants to AFL-CIO President George Meany.-Beginnings:...
, Verso, 2003. - Towards the Understanding of Karl Marx, by Sidney HookSidney HookSidney Hook was an American pragmatic philosopher known for his contributions to public debates.A student of John Dewey, Hook continued to examine the philosophy of history, of education, politics, and of ethics. After embracing Marxism in his youth, Hook was known for his criticisms of...
, Prometheus, 2002. - From Hegel to Marx, by Sidney HookSidney HookSidney Hook was an American pragmatic philosopher known for his contributions to public debates.A student of John Dewey, Hook continued to examine the philosophy of history, of education, politics, and of ethics. After embracing Marxism in his youth, Hook was known for his criticisms of...
, Columbia University Press, 1994.
Selected articles
- "Howard Zinn, Philosopher," The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2010
- "American Idle," The Nation, 2010
- http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/08/lichtenstein.chicago.labor/index.html "Chicago factory sit-in fits national mood," CNN.com, with Nelson LichtensteinNelson LichtensteinNelson Lichtenstein is a professor of history at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and director of the Center for the Study of Work, Labor and Democracy...
, 2008] - "The Prophet Reconsidered," The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2008
- "Diamonds in the Rough," InsideHigherEd.com, 2007
- "The New SDS," The Nation, 2007
- "A Neglected Document on Socialism and Sex," Journal of the History of Sexuality, 2007
- "The Fictitious Suppression of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle," History News Network, 2006
- "The Lowering of Higher Education," InsideHigherEd.com, 2005
- "Fulbright of the Mind," The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2005
- "The Rediscovered Brilliance of Hubert Harrison," Science & Society, 2004
- "A Socialist Magazine in the American Century," Monthly Review, 1999
- http://www.wpunj.edu/~newpol/issue25/phelps25.htm "Bourne Yet Again," on the legacy of Randolph BourneRandolph BourneRandolph Silliman Bourne was a progressive writer and "leftist intellectual" born in Bloomfield, New Jersey, and a graduate of Columbia University...
, New PoliticsNew Politics (magazine)New Politics is an independent socialist journal founded in 1961 and still published in the United States today. While it is inclusive of articles from a variety of left-of-center positions, the publication leans strongly toward a Third camp, democratic Marxist perspective, placing it typically to...
, 1998]
Additional reading
- "Phelps, Christopher", in Contemporary Authors Online, Thomson Gale, 2006