Creativity and Action Theory. Hans Joas’s Reassessment of John Dewey

Abstract

This article addresses the thesis that Joas adheres to, from a pragmatism approach, focusing on those that, according to his view, let him to integrate very naturally social theory with the idea of creativity that he intends to defend. In this framing, it hypothesizes that Joas’s conception is strongly influenced by Deweyan conception of experience and his theory of action, that the scope of his work in this orientation precisely lies in to emphasize the link between creativity and action that is present and underrated and undoubtedly to point out the relevance of that philosophical reflection for the field of sociology. Finally, it outlines some suggestions regarding the necessity of highlighting in further explorations, as well in the context of Joas’s work as in the context of pragmatist interpretations, the idea of transaction formulated by Dewey, towards the primacy of just the theory of action based on defining more accurately the proper idea of creativity.