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George Holmes Howison

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337:, which turned out to be not to his liking. At this time, the University of California decided to begin a philosophy program and recruited Howison, now 50 and a prominent voice in academia, as the Mills Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy and Civil Polity, and they invited Howison to create a philosophy program according to his own vision. Howison's extensive administrative experience along with his connections to the eastern and mid-western intellectual lights led to great success. Howison was also an inspiring teacher and so the program attracted students easily. Howison's Philosophical Union became a prominent host for public lectures and even debates, hosting such speakers as James, Royce, and 31: 345:
personal charity and moral excellence kept him safe from serious personal attacks. Despite Howison's dissatisfaction with other contemporary and historical metaphysicians, he did continue to profess Christianity. He recognized that his support of Jesus' position was not accepted as he might have hoped by his Christian peers, but maintained that his theory of
246:. During the following years Howison taught in all the branches of mathematics, including applied fields such as mechanics and astronomy, but also in political economy and Latin. Howison wrote a treatise on analytic geometry (1869) and an algebra primer (1870). In St. Louis Howison also came into contact with a subdivision of the 198:
originator of philosophical pluralism in America, which was his most enduring contribution to philosophy. Although he was widely recognized during his lifetime, Howison's ideas have spread and come into the present mainly through influence on other notable philosophers whose names have continued to attract attention, especially
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While he was well known and widely respected in the young professional discipline of philosophy, Howison did not publish prolifically. Most of those who have written on Howsion attribute his reluctance to publish to his perfectionism regarding language and writing. He was exacting, as is indicated by
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on December 31, 1916. His parents were Robert Howison of Virginia and Eliza Holmes Howison of Maryland. These were old and distinguished Southern families, Presbyterians and slaveholders. Howison's biography is eclectic and the basis of Howison's later devotion to pluralism. Howison was the primary
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in Cincinnati and being licensed to preach. Howison did not take a church, however, and served as a schoolteacher and principal several Ohio towns. In 1862 he moved to Salem, Massachusetts as a school principal. There he met and married Lois Caswell, an English teacher, who was related to several
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Strictly construed, it is, as I have just endeavoured to show, simply the vindication of that active sovereign judgment which is the light of every mind, which organises even the most elementary perceptions, and which goes on in its ceaseless critical work of reorganisation after reorganisation,
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Howison became a popular and controversial speaker and became the progenitor of the California school of American personalism. His heterodox teachings about the nature of God placed him at odds with the theological community, but his incisive ability to defend it against all challenges and his
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as its Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science, remaining until 1878, when financial problems forced M.I.T. to eliminate his position. It was during these years that Howison began writing philosophy. He held various teaching positions and lectured for money between 1878 and 1882, including
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When Howison was four years of age his parents freed their slaves and moved to Marietta, Ohio, for the improved educational and cultural life it offered at that time. The various Christian sects there had worked out a consensus and ecumenism, creating a co-operative community in which even
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was in line with Jesus' teaching, particularly as presented by "the 4th gospeler", John. He said: "I feel the strongest assurance that my new interpretation of the name of God is the genuine fulfilment of the highest and profoundest prescience in the historic religious life."
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Howison returned to the US in 1882, and hoped to teach at Harvard while James was on sabbatical, but Royce, being younger and very promising, was given preference. Howison taught privately for a year and although he did not want to leave Boston, he accepted a position at the
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building all the successive stages of science, and finally mastering those ultimate implications of science that constitute the insights of philosophy. In other words, the conception is a philosophical and real account of the nature of an
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gave a talk which, along with the arguments of Sidney Edward Mezes, Joseph LeConte, and Howison (presaging his later definitive opus), and the follow-up replies by Royce Himself, was published in the book entitled
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was started during this time and Howison published an important paper on the relations among the branches of mathematics in one of its early numbers. The Kant Club hosted speeches by both
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Having moved to better and better schools and having made a name for himself as an educator, in 1864 (when he was 30) Howison was offered a post as professor at
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which moderated Howison's enthusiasm for Hegel and planted a predilection for Kantian thinking in Howison's mind which remained for the rest of his life.
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experience, marked by fragmentariness that is forever being tentatively overcome and enwholed, — if I may coin a word to match the excellent German one
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began here. These views were differently articulated and defended by James, Bowne, Davidson, and Howison, but their commonalities are many.
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at 14 and studied German. He studied philosophy in his senior year. After graduating, Howison pursued Christian ministry, graduating from
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Protestants and Catholics worked together. This religious pluralism was exceedingly rare in 19th century North America. Howison attended
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and held the position there of Mills Professor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy and Civil Polity. He also founded the
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Also during these years he attended every two weeks the informal philosophical meetings in the Temple Street rooms of
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The Conception of God: A Philosophical Discussion Concerning the Nature of the Divine Idea as a Demonstrable Reality
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The Conception of God: A philosophical discussion concerning the nature of the divine idea as a demonstrable reality
154:(29 November 1834 – 31 December 1916) was an American philosopher who established the philosophy department at the 288: 93: 334: 303: 105: 159: 251: 215: 173:
in 1919. Over the years, the lecture series has included talks by distinguished philosophers such as
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The Limits of Evolution, and other essays, illustrating the metaphysical theory of personal idealism
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See Rufus Burrow, Jr. Personalism: A Critical Introduction (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1999).
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with a small group that included William James and Bowne. American philosophical
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where he received a classical education, including ancient languages. He entered
466:"Howison Lectures in Philosophy | Series | Berkeley Graduate Lectures" 307: 169:(1901, 2nd ed.: 1905). Friends and former students of Howison established the 338: 165:
Howison's philosophy is set forth almost entirely in his volume entitled
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his revision of a widely used dictionary of English synonyms (1892).
314: 239:. Howison continued to educate himself, especially in mathematics. 295:, where he became better acquainted with Emerson and Alcott. 508:
Royce, J.; LeConte, J.; Howison, G.H.; Mezes, S.E. (1897).
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aspect; viewed, that is, as the organising subject of a
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George Holmes Howison was born on November 29, 1834, in
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turned Howison's main interest to philosophy. Harris'
133: 121: 111: 99: 89: 79: 65: 51: 37: 21: 313:Beginning in 1880 Howison traveled and studied in 379: 250:called The Kant Club, which met at the home of 593:Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty 8: 282:in Boston. In 1872 Howison moved to the new 231:prominent academic families associated with 603:Washington University in St. Louis faculty 29: 18: 544:Guide to the George Holmes Howison Papers 496:The Limits of Evolution and Other Essays 435: 262:. His association with Harris and the 357: 284:Massachusetts Institute of Technology 268:The Journal of Speculative Philosophy 7: 377:Howison characterized Royce's God: 578:20th-century American philosophers 573:19th-century American philosophers 244:Washington University in St. Louis 156:University of California, Berkeley 116:University of California, Berkeley 14: 454:2nd edition, Title Essay, Page #1 16:American philosopher (1834–1916) 248:St. Louis Philosophical Society 132: 598:University of Michigan faculty 443:1st edition, Table of Contents 171:Howison Lectures in Philosophy 1: 418:"all knowledge is personal", 414:List of American philosophers 317:. In 1881 he enrolled at the 293:Concord School of Philosophy 468:. gradlectures.berkeley.edu 260:The Phenomenology of Spirit 191:Montgomery County, Maryland 45:Montgomery County, Maryland 619: 254:. With this group he read 514:. Macmillan. p. 79. 498:, 2nd ed. (1905), p. 431. 145: 75: 28: 588:Marietta College alumni 289:Harvard Divinity School 94:20th-century philosophy 400: 335:University of Michigan 106:California personalism 360:The Conception of God 252:William Torrey Harris 152:George Holmes Howison 23:George Holmes Howison 548:The Bancroft Library 384:isolated human being 319:University of Berlin 195:Berkeley, California 59:Berkeley, California 409:American philosophy 280:English High School 272:Ralph Waldo Emerson 264:St. Louis Hegelians 208:Borden Parker Bowne 160:Philosophical Union 392:natural-scientific 84:Western philosophy 347:personal idealism 149: 148: 140:Personal idealism 610: 532: 531: 529: 528: 505: 499: 492: 486: 483: 477: 476: 474: 473: 462: 456: 451: 445: 440: 237:Brown University 224:Marietta College 216:Marietta Academy 70:Marietta College 55:31 December 1916 41:29 November 1834 33: 19: 618: 617: 613: 612: 611: 609: 608: 607: 553: 552: 540: 535: 526: 524: 522: 507: 506: 502: 493: 489: 484: 480: 471: 469: 464: 463: 459: 452: 448: 441: 437: 433: 420:Michael Polanyi 405: 363: 300:Thomas Davidson 233:Yale University 187: 175:Michel Foucault 136: 124: 66:Alma mater 61: 56: 47: 42: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 616: 614: 606: 605: 600: 595: 590: 585: 580: 575: 570: 565: 555: 554: 551: 550: 539: 538:External links 536: 534: 533: 520: 500: 487: 478: 457: 446: 434: 432: 429: 428: 427: 422: 416: 411: 404: 401: 362: 356: 327:Jules Michelet 276:Bronson Alcott 256:G. W. F. Hegel 220:Harmar Academy 193:, and died in 186: 183: 147: 146: 143: 142: 137: 134: 131: 130: 125: 123:Main interests 122: 119: 118: 113: 109: 108: 103: 97: 96: 91: 87: 86: 81: 77: 76: 73: 72: 67: 63: 62: 57: 53: 49: 48: 43: 39: 35: 34: 26: 25: 22: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 615: 604: 601: 599: 596: 594: 591: 589: 586: 584: 581: 579: 576: 574: 571: 569: 566: 564: 561: 560: 558: 549: 545: 542: 541: 537: 523: 521:9780722221457 517: 513: 512: 504: 501: 497: 491: 488: 482: 479: 467: 461: 458: 455: 450: 447: 444: 439: 436: 430: 426: 423: 421: 417: 415: 412: 410: 407: 406: 402: 399: 397: 393: 389: 385: 378: 375: 373: 368: 361: 355: 351: 348: 342: 340: 336: 330: 328: 324: 320: 316: 311: 309: 306:and American 305: 301: 296: 294: 290: 285: 281: 277: 273: 269: 265: 261: 257: 253: 249: 245: 240: 238: 234: 229: 228:Lane Seminary 225: 221: 217: 211: 209: 205: 204:William James 201: 196: 192: 184: 182: 180: 176: 172: 168: 163: 161: 157: 153: 144: 141: 138: 135:Notable ideas 129: 126: 120: 117: 114: 110: 107: 104: 102: 98: 95: 92: 88: 85: 82: 78: 74: 71: 68: 64: 60: 54: 50: 46: 40: 36: 32: 27: 20: 525:. Retrieved 510: 503: 495: 490: 481: 470:. Retrieved 460: 449: 438: 395: 391: 387: 383: 380: 376: 371: 367:Josiah Royce 364: 359: 352: 343: 331: 312: 297: 241: 212: 200:Josiah Royce 188: 179:Noam Chomsky 166: 164: 151: 150: 112:Institutions 568:1916 deaths 563:1834 births 321:, studying 308:personalism 287:courses at 557:Categories 527:2015-05-13 472:2015-05-13 431:References 339:John Dewey 218:and later 583:Idealists 494:Howison, 425:Wikiquote 304:pluralism 403:See also 365:In 1897 358:Royce's 291:and the 128:Theology 396:ergänzt 388:natural 518:  315:Europe 206:, and 101:School 90:Region 325:with 516:ISBN 323:Kant 274:and 235:and 185:Life 177:and 52:Died 38:Born 546:at 258:'s 80:Era 559:: 341:. 202:, 181:. 530:. 475:. 398:. 370:"

Index

George Holmes Howison
Montgomery County, Maryland
Berkeley, California
Marietta College
Western philosophy
20th-century philosophy
School
California personalism
University of California, Berkeley
Theology
Personal idealism
University of California, Berkeley
Philosophical Union
Howison Lectures in Philosophy
Michel Foucault
Noam Chomsky
Montgomery County, Maryland
Berkeley, California
Josiah Royce
William James
Borden Parker Bowne
Marietta Academy
Harmar Academy
Marietta College
Lane Seminary
Yale University
Brown University
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis Philosophical Society
William Torrey Harris

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