American Philosophy Before Pragmatism

ISBN-13: 9780198801535 / Angielski / Miękka / 2018 / 304 str.

Russell B. Goodman

Opis

Russell Goodman tells the story of the development of philosophy in America from the mid-18th century to the late 19th century. The key figures, including Franklin, Jefferson, Emerson, and Thoreau, were not professors but men of the world, whose deep influence on American thought brought philosophy together with religion, politics, and literature.

Recenzje

Goodman succeeds in linking the varied intellectual debates that occupied his principle figures to their practical implications, both of their own times and of today. His readings as a result are fresh and convincing, though given the brevity of the book, no discussion is as intense as the topics deserve. His presentations relate his figures to concurrent developments in Europe, but they do not demand more than a casual knowledge of the history of philosophy. As an account of how five prominent thinkers in British North America and the United States responded to debates over slavery, the work illuminates the twists and turns involved when ideals and practical interests are in conflict. These strengths will make this a useful book for some courses, particularly if combined with primary readings.

O autorze

Russell Goodman is Professor of Philosophy at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.