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Is
THERE
357
personal and social circumstancesin which philosophydevelops are irrelevantto its truth. In proportionas philosophyis faithfulto its essential
and to
cognitivepurposeit will endeavorto transcendsuch circumstances,
emulate the universalityso notablyachieved in mathematicsand the socalled exact sciences.
Despite this ideal of universality,however,personal,regional,and national influenceswill be ineradicable. Every philosophywill inevitably
reflectprejudicesand prejudgments:it will startwithsome peculiarphilosophicalinheritance;it willgivespecialattentionto certainquestionsrather
than to others;it will approach the universaltruthfromsome peculiar
followits own peculiarpath.
point of origin,and will therefore
of philosophymust
Emphasis on the regionalor national characteristics
characteristics. It is at least
not be allowed to obscure contemporary
questionable,forexample,whetherthe philosophyofNorthAmericain the
twentiethcenturydoes not have more in commonwith Ibero-American
philosophyin thesame centurythanit has withNorthAmericanphilosophy
in the seventeenthcentury. The factis that it is,possibleto definemany
areas of similarity-epochal, geographical,linguistic,ethnic. The dispositionto reducethemall to some one, such as national or regional,has
led to the creationof fictionswhichare themselvesexpressionsof bias. A
graphicrepresentationof philosophicalsimilaritieswould be composedof
centersand havingdifferent
manyoverlappingcirclesdrawnformdifferent
diametersall the way fromthe personalphilosophyof a particularman in
the periodofhis youth,to the humanphilosophyembracingall men of all
timesand places.
Is therea NorthAmericanphilosophy? I assume that thereare North
as thereare NorthAmericanphysicistsand matheAmericanphilosophers,
maticians. But the questionis whetherthereis anythingpeculiarlyNorth
Americanabout NorthAmericanphilosophers. If theansweris affirmative
it must be possible to distinguisha characterwhichis descriptiveof the
NorthAmericanmindin general,and whichcan then be used to describe
NorthAmericanphilosophyin particular. And this,I believe,is the case.
The Americanmindhas come to possess a specificcharacterwhichpervades the entirecountry,fromcoast to coast and fromborderto border.
strongto imIt is recognizableby visitorsfromabroad, and is sufficiently
streamof
on
a
and
continuous
native
generations
printitselfon successive
it
cooked a
has
not
melted,
merely
has
immigrants. The meltingpot
of
its
own.
flavor
brothwithan unmistakable
This flavoris easily sensed-or perhaps smelled-though not so easily
defined. Its most evident quality is buoyancy,zestfulness,resourcefulness, and self-reliance. The term "individualism" (the best single term
withwhichto characterizethe Americanmind) has to be used withreser-
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358
PHILOSOPHY
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Is
THERE
A NORTH
AMERICAN
PHILOSOPHY?
359
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360
PHILOSOPHY
at such Americanismas I have described. But one does not find the
peculiaritiesof a nation in its sophistication,whichtends to be the same
American
amongall personsand peoples. To findwhatis characteristically
self which its selfone must look for its naivete; for that unself-critical
criticismcriticizes;for the illusions fromwhich it seeks emancipation.
This beingthe case I ventureto say that themeaningoflifeforthe Ameri,can people is not revealed in the tragedyor in the comedy of manners,
but in the melodrama-with its dash and excitement,its gallopinghorses
or speeding automobiles,its pursuitsand hair-breadthescapes, its prodigious feats,its black villain and snow-whiteheroine-and above all its
happy ending.
The AmericanismwhichI have.takenthe melodramato illustrateis not,
oflife:a recognition
however,a bad formofart,but a seriousinterpretation
of inanimatenature,
of the forceof evil and of the inertiaand indifference
coupled with an ideal of the good and a beliefin man's powerto achieve
it by the intelligentand organizedeffortof individuals. For, afterall,
whyshouldn'tthingsend happily-if possible? The faithwhichI venture
to call Americanis no absolute optimism,no assurancethat all is perfect
in the eternalconstitutionofthings,or in anotherworld,but a conditional
optimism:we can if we tryand put our mindsand our hands to it, and
unite our action. It is not an easy optimism-a faiththat moves mountainsby simplywishingand believing,orby invokingsupernaturalagencies,
but a contrivingoptimism,whichmoves mountainsby learninghow and
applyingthe necessaryleverage. It is a faithjustifiedby the fact that
mountainshave been so moved. This faith, like all faith, exceeds the
limits of past experience,but only because experienceitselfproves the
immenseresourcesof the implementedhuman will. It is a faithwhich
have
because so many impossibilities
does not easily accept impossibilities
proved to be possible, It is utopian in its dreams,but does not confuse
dreamswith the actual state of affairs,and is preparedto earn the good
and not have it handed out.
Whateverbarriershave been erectedin Americaagainstthe importation
the door has been open
of physicalcommodities,or against immigration,
wide to ideas fromall quarters. Given the circumstancesofthe settlement
of the countryand the varied compositionof its populationthis could not
well have been otherwise. Those who have settled here fromdifferent
parts of the worldhave broughtideas withthemand transmittedthemto
their descendents. Contacts have been maintainedbetween settlersor
and theirplaces oforigin. At thesame timetherehas emerged
immigrants
fromall this variety of impacts a characteristicAmericanresponse-a
selectiveresponse,whichtriesall thingsbut assimilates,rejects,or modi-ofselection,whichI have describedas individualism,
fies. This principle
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Is
THERE
36t
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362
PHILOSOPHYAND PHENOMENOLOGICAL
RESEARCH
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Is
THERE
A NORTH
AMERICAN
PHILOSOPHY?
363
transferred
fromthe past to the futureand conceivedas the goal ofprogress. The philosophyof the Declaration of Independence,formulated
by Thomas Jefferson
not only because he was a skillfuldraftsmanbut
because he was so completelyimpregnatedwith the prevailingopinions
of this self-congratulatory
epoch, is the creed solemnlyadopted by the
nation at its comingof age, and perpetuallyreaffirmed
in all its hours of
crisis.
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364
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Is
THERE
365
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366
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Is
THERE
367
him, it has nourishedhim and made him happy. His manysided and
his intellectualtolerance,his suspicion
tentativemannerofphilosophizing,
science,his naturalism,his
contemporary
of systems,his intimacywith
realism,his personalinvolvementin the two world wars and devotionto
the cause of the Allies, his sympathywith liberal social and economic
trendsboth in Britainand in America,his admirationofJamesand Dewey
above all Americanphilosophers,his empiricalsense of a universerich in
undisclosed possibilities,his settingof wisdom and personal conviction
above learning,his hailingof the promiseof youth-all of these traits of
characterand of mindenabled himto ally himselfwith,and take his place
among,Americanphilosophers-bothlovingand beloved.
ThereremainsthefigureofCharlesPierce,who standslike a lonelypeak,
its altitudeincreasingwithdistance. I shall not say that Pierceprovesthe
rule, but ratherthat he proves that thereis no rule. Althoughhe was
himselfan unmitigatedindividualhe explicitlyrejectedthe philosophyof
individualism-and he is thebest authoritythatcan be citedon thesubject.
He became the imputedfatherof Pragmatismbut refusedthe, to him,
of AmericanNaturalism,
doubtfulhonor. He is claimed as a forerunner
but he would doubtlessrefusethat honortoo, had he the opportunityto
speak. He remainsa philosopher'sphilosopher,belongingto no school,
and havinglittlein commonwithhis Americanenvironment.
So much for the foot-notes. My epilogue contains two paragraphs.
In the firstplace, I wish to say how little I claim forthe thesiswhich I
have heredefended. I cannotbringit down to date forthe simplereason
that one cannotsee the contoursofa complexityin the midstofwhichone
lives. I make no predictionof futuretrends,not even to the extent of
extrapolatingthe trendwhich I think I discoverin the past. For all I
know Americanphilosophymay be about to cease to be, may already be
ceasing to be, Americanas I have interpretedthe term. Furthermore,
opinionin suchmattersis peculiarlyvulnerableto thechargeofbias. Since
I desire myselfto be American,it is inevitable that I should construe
Americanismin termswhich enable me to be its champion. So I may
have done nothingmorethan state my own creed,with illustrationsfrom
the historyofAmericanthought. As I reviewwhat I have said I thinkit
shouldperhapsbe entitled"Jottingsand Commentson AmericanPhilosophy,)"witha long sub-titleas follows: "By one who believes in the possibilityof moral and cultural progressthroughthe organized effortof
individuals,and who findsthe environmentof man both independently
which it has
resistantand compliantlyplastic to the spiritual offspring
itself begotten." If this be American,I have, to the best of my ability,
made themost of it.
And finallyI know that I expressthe agreementof both branchesof
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368
UNIVERSITY.
EXTRACTO
La filosofiacomo cualquiera otra rama de la investigationaspira a ser
verdaderay, por lo tanto, universalmentevailida. No ha de proponerse,
entonces,ser nacional. Por otra parte, es imposibleescapar de la influencia de lo nacional de modo que hay que admitirlocomo un hecho sin
considerarlodignode admiracion. Aunque en Estados Unidos no hay un
cuerpo de doctrinani una escuela de filosofiaque pueda ser considerada
existe si un molde intelectualque ha sido creado
como norte-americana,
en los Estados Unidos como un resultado de su historia,de su origen
etnico y de su ambiente natural y que se ha reflejado en el tipo de
filosifiaque ha tendido a predominary prevalecer. El terminomas
tomado en el
adecuado para ese molde intelectuales el de individualismo,
sentidoque sirvepara expresaruna constelacionde presuposicionesmas o
menos inconcientes:que desde el punto de vista ordinariolos individuos
son reales; que son causalmenteeficacestantoen la competenciacomoen el
acuerdo;que pueden,utilizandolas fuerzasde la naturalezafisicasometerla
a sus propiosfines;que creany controlansus institucionessociales de las
cuales son sus legitimosbeneficiaries;que pueden fraguary realizar sus
ideales por el esfuerzoy la inteligenciaorganizados.
Tal cuniomentalse hace presenteen los negocios,la ley,la politicay en
la competenciadeportiva,en el College, en la ciencia y en las artes. Ha
ejercido una influenciaselective en la filosoflacomo puede comprobarse
analizando las sucesivas corrientesdel pensamientoeuropeo que han sido
adoptadas y asimiladas en suelo americano(E.E.U.U.). El pensamiento
americanoha acentuado y absor'bidolo que habia de individualist (en el
sentido arriba apuntado) en la concepcion Protestante-Puritanade la
6poca colonial. El Iluminismo(Filosofla de la Ilustracion) y la escuela
realista escocesa del -sentidocomulnfueronaceptados especialmente. Del
aportedado por el IdealismoKantiano y el RomanticismoAlemanacentuo
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Is
THERE
369
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