Abstract
The first of these books is a very thorough, well-arranged, well-documented piece of work, which is likely to be the standard text on its subject for a long time to come. Prof. Schneider begins with the Colonial period, when American philosophy was mainly theology inspired by Puritanism and, later, political theory inspired by Locke and the French eighteenth-century thinkers. He does not attempt to take his history as far as the present younger generation, but deals fully with that earlier generation, of whom two are still alive: the generation of Pierce, James, Royce, Santayana, Dewey, and one or two others less well known. With these thinkers there began new movements, still influential, characteristically American and having for the first time repercussions outside the United States. Santayana is properly included as American, because, however European by birth and later residence, he was influenced in his formative years by the environment of Boston and Harvard. That he reacted against the environment more than with it does not alter the fact that it was his environment. On the same grounds, Whitehead should not be claimed as American in spite of his having written his most important books there.
(1) A History of American Philosophy
By Herbert W. Schneider. Pp. xiv+646. (New York: Columbia University Press; London: Oxford University Press, 1946.) 25s. 6d. net.
(2) American Philosophic Addresses, 1700–1900
Edited by Joseph L. Blau. Pp. xii+762. (New York: Columbia University Press; London: Oxford University Press, 1946.) 38s. net.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
RITCHIE, A. American Philosophy. Nature 160, 37–38 (1947). https://doi.org/10.1038/160037a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/160037a0