The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-23

and inopportune. The "quietists"
were essentially separatists, and the
era Of mid militarism for which the
Revolution was responsible submerged
them; but that they did have infu-
ence on public affairs is evidenced by
Woolman VS.. slavery. Penn's treaty
with the Indians and the Friends re-
sistance against military preponder-
ance: not controlling but a checking
influence.
OF new thought" the author re-
marks parenthetically that 1t is "a re-
vival Of pagan mysticism and me-
diRval magic" 1t contains Quimby
of Maine. mesmeric healer: Mother
Ann Lee of New Hampshire. Shaker
prophecies. and "a portion OF the
orphic sayings Of the transcendental
rhapsodist" Bronson Alcott.
In America deism began as a reac-
ton against Puritan deterininism, and
set in place of the Deity as engineer
an absentee landlord Deity. Paine's
Age OF Reason" was merely a clever
popularization OF the views Of the
deistic thinkers. The relation be.
tween politics and philosophy il en-
phasized by the statement: 'The
Federalists linked together Jefferson
ianism. atheism and the excuses OF
the French Revolution. They called
Jefferson a Jacobin. an infidel and a
republican villain" As the doctrine
spread Harvard deplored the foul
spirit Of Innovation" Princeton COM
bated the Age OF Reason with its
philosophy Of common sense" And
the people read Paine.
After the English and French in
fiuences came one from Scotland. and
ii was engineered by presidents and
professors Of Princeton. Its method,
realism" put observation and induc-
ton In the place of analysis and de-
duction. 1t spread to the denomina-
tional colleges and got a firm foothold
and propaganda organiza ton. The
movement was greatly helped by the
influx OF new settlers. carrying 1t
over the country: The glacial age in
American thought" The Princeton
realistic metaphysic was dualistic--
God and the world, soul and body. SUBJ
ject and object. The advantage of
1.-THE Scotch descended dualism was
the avoidance OF the difficulty OF try
ing to think things together" But
the Princeton theologians' ultracon-
servatism degenerated into polemic. re-
placing speculation with dogma, phi
losophy with theology. Holding a stra-
tegic middle ground between the ideal
ism of the North and the ma
terialism of the South. they made
good use Of their opportunities while
they held the field. President johnson
of Columbia at this time called the
New Jersey college "a fountain Of nom
sense
Emersonian transcendentalism. evo-
lutionist philosophy beginning in the
'6os and running into John Fishes
"cosmic' philosophy and James Mark
Baldw!n's "Gepetic evolution these
things impinged upon the popular
mind in manner wholly different
from the political contact of the pre-
Revolutionary era. Modern idealism.
the era Of German influence. the st.
Louis school" and the Chicago
school" exemplified respectively by
William T. Harris and John Dewey:
these are not very attractive. The
Cambridge school," Mr.. James's praC-
m ,tism. bridges the gap TO the new
realism
Prof Riley says: We as a country
have been told that we have no phi
losophy, that We do but reflect tn"
speculations Of other lands. This is
not wholly true. We have had phi
losophers. original thinkers who.
though their influence may not have
reached abroad. were makers of his
tory at home" Debate whether Their.
is an American" philosophy or our
leading thinkers have trailed along
after Europe may he left to the con-
sumers Of midnight electricity; it is
exactly where his philosophers were
makers of history" that Prof. Riley
commands interested attention. The
command might have been continued
to the end, for "laymen" as we'll as
students Of philosophy. IL in dealing
with the moderns he had continued
however 1t might work out To the
glory Of philosophy or otherwise. the
test Of closeness to the life of the
nation. But the historian of phi,oso-
ply cannot he held to account for the
deficiencies ~ his subject The Vas
sar professor has done n rather un-
usual thing and his study. scholarly
and complete. is valuable for what il
suggests even more than for what il
exhibits.
There is irresistible charm" in the
mere ramcs of the schools Of phi-
losophy Of Chicago and ST. Louis.