Matthew Baldwin
Ontology as the Forbearance of God
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) During our third week of the course American Philosophy, we entered the 18th century in the colonies, a time of expansion, change, and development. Usually, the period is identified with the “Enlightenment”, that is, with the emergence of rationalism in science, history, philosophy and theology. The most prominent American thinker of the [...]
The Garden and the Wall
My favorite character among the first generation New England Puritans is doubtless Roger Williams. Williams became the founder of Rhode Island after his libertarian impulses in matters of religion and politics led him into conflict with the magistrates and divines of the Puritan theocracy at Massachusetts Bay Colony. According to Williams, the Massachusetts colony lacked [...]
A Matter of Conscience: Unpolished Notes on the Trial of Anne Hutchinson (1637)
November, 1637 Newtown, MA Winthrop begins (235-236) by accusing her of: promoting and divulging opinions (causing “this trouble”) to be friends with censured individuals speaking “divers things” “predjudicial” to churches and ministers having a regular meeting in her house already condemned by the assembly as unbefitting a woman and not tolerable “in the sight of [...]
The Plantation
John Cotton (1584–1652) For our second day of PHI 216, American Philosophy, we are reading John Cotton’s famous 1630 sermon “God’s Promise to His Plantation.” John Cotton was a prodigy. Educated at Cambridge (Emmanuel College), he received his first degree at 19 and joined the faculty after receiving the A.M. at age 23. As a [...]
America’s Puritan Heritage (and a plug for The Wordy Shipmates)
It was like providence. Or Providence. Pun intended. Less than a week ago, during the time when I was feverishly preparing myself to begin my American Philosophy course, I just happened to be browsing in the world’s best bookstore, Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Oregon, when I caught sight of this winsome little book. [...]
American Philosophy (and a plug for The Metaphysical Club)
For the next sixteen weeks every post I make in this blog will be related to my American Philosophy course (PHI 216). I am a neophyte in this field, but it combines two of my intellectual avocations: philosophy and American history. A few years ago a friend of mine encouraged me to read Louis Menand’s [...]
On my reading list: Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason
Immanuel Kant 1724–1804 (Wikipedia). Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason. First edition, 1781. Second edition, 1787. In the studies and reading rooms of nineteenth-century American Philosophers, this was considered a most important book. Kant was the the root and stem of eighteenth-century German Idealist philosophy. A hundred years later, idealism had swept English philosophy and [...]
a statement on Wikipedia by a college professor
Wikipedia.org is often berated by college professors as an unacceptable source in undergraduate papers. I, however, have no qualms whatsoever about college students using Wikipedia as a source in their papers. It must be assumed, with respect to almost any topic a human person can give name to, that a Wikipedia article on the subject [...]
“owning” books: google ebooks cloud
Noted: Google books has a new strategy. They are providing “ownership” of a flexible ebook format where the actual images of the book are stored in the clouds, and you can access the book on any device you choose: phone, pad, laptop, desktop, internet TV whatever. You buy an access key. You purchase the right [...]