The gene pool of pragmatism: Pragmatic philosophy in the Federalist Papers

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, working in haste and without means of cooperative communication, created an extraordinary collection of essays colloquially termed the Federalist Papers. This compendium today serves for many as a primary means of interpreting the intent of the framers of the United States Constitution. Both the process of creating the Papers and the mechanism of the governing document they explicate exemplify the essence of the philosophy of pragmatism. Analysis of the Federalist Papers shows that in its execution, the Constitution transcends ideology and puts into place a system that inoculates Americans against autocratic rule. Cornel West asserts that the proper starting point for American pragmatism resides in the work of Emerson. Arguably, however, this uniquely American philosophy arises from the evasion of traditional epistemological certainties and elevation of process over proofs that the Constitution embodies. The Federalist Papers evince the genetic material of pragmatic philosophy.