Mead, George Herbert (1863–1931)

American pragmatist philosopher George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) has had a major influence in the social sciences through his examinations of the processes of symbolic communication and the genesis of the social self. He developed his philosophy in dialogue with unique influences from empirical science, critical philosophy, and the progressive social reforms in which he was heavily involved during his eventful career. Although his ideas were known to colleagues and students at the University of Chicago in the early twentieth century, his subsequent influence has largely been through volumes compiled from disparate sources and published after his death.