Abstract:

As the cultural and philosophical bedrock of the New Critics of the United States， the “Agrarian Movement” emphasized traditional southern agricultural civilization. It stood as a bulwark against the encroachment of capitalist industrialization， proposing it as an antidote to the post-war crisis. This stance catalyzed a significant transformation within the American intellectual community and sparked the Southern Renaissance. Dewey’s pragmatic thought， in contrast， championed the transformation of the society through a collectivist behavior fostered by industrial society. In order to counter Dewey’s pragmatic thought， the Agrarians launched a critique of both his philosophical thought and the progressive philosophy he epitomized. Upon examining the clash between these two ideologies， it might initially appear that the disagreement lies in the tension between conservatism and progressivism， or between the agricultural civilization and industrial civilization. While in fact， the conflict is rooted in the dichotomy between ecological thought and pragmatic rationalism inherent within these two different civilizations.

Key words: Agrarian, ecological thought, pragmatic rationalism, John Dewey