Reverence for the Relations of Life : Re-imagining Pragmatism Via Josiah Royce's Interactions with Peirce, James, and Dewey

Josiah Royce and William James lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Irving Street, just two doors apart, and Charles Peirce grew up only blocks away. John Dewey was born and educated in nearby Vermont. These four great thinkers shared more than geographic space; they engaged in a series of formative philosophical discussions. By tracing the interactions of Royce (1855–1916) with James, Peirce, and Dewey, Oppenheim "re-imagines pragmatism" in a way that highlights the late Royce's role as mediator and favors the "seed-plant" image of O. W. Holmes, Jr., over the corridor image of Papini. Josiah Royce emphasized that communities of all sizes―ranging from families to towns―needed "reverence for the relations of life" not only to thrive but to survive. This theme permeates the dialectic of Royce’s interactions with Peirce, James, and Dewey. Oppenheim analyzes the agreement and disagreement of these thinkers on the method and content of philosophy, skepticism and intelligibility, and nominalism and intentionality, as he uncovers their varied stances toward transcendent Reality. Oppenheim repudiates Ralph Barton Perry’s tactic of using Royce as a foil to display James positively, by offering a richer portrait of Royce. Oppenheim calls attention to Royce’s "doctrine of two levels" and its effects on the distinction of human and super-human, by showing the contrast of Royce’s "third attitude of will" against two primarily self-centered attitudes of will, and by examining the roles of Spirit, Community, and semiotic process in Royce’s late thought. Josiah Royce Emphasized That Communities Of All Sizes - Ranging From Families To Towns - Needed Reverence For The Relations Of Life Not Only To Thrive But To Survive. This Theme Permeates The Dialectic Of Royce's Interactions With Peirce, James, And Dewey. Oppenheim Analyzes The Agreement And Disagreement Of These Thinkers On The Method And Content Of Philosophy, Skepticism And Intelligibility, And Nominalism And Intentionality, As He Uncovers Their Varied Stances Toward Transcendent Reality. Frank M. Oppenheim, Who Is Widely Regarded As An Expert On Josiah Royce, Brings More Than 40 Years Of Study To Bear On This Magnum Opus. Reverence For The Relations Of Life Will Be Essential Reading For Those Interested In American Philosophy And Theology.--jacket. Introduction: Reverence For The Relations Of Life -- Part I: Royce And Peirce -- We And Royce Meet Charles Peirce -- The Thought Of The Late Peirce And Royce : Different? Alike? Both? -- Peirce And Royce As Prophetic Pragmatists -- Part Ii: Royce And James -- William James And Josiah Royce -- Some Radical Conflicts Between The Late Royce And James -- Psychological Attitudes And Some Deep Philosophical Choices -- Their Late Theories Of Knowledge -- James's Late Metaphysics Or Philosophy Of Radical Empiricism -- Royce's Late Metaphysics -- The Late Pragmatisms Of James And Royce -- The Late Ethics Of James And Royce -- Their Late Philosophies Of Religion -- Part Iii: Royce And Dewey -- How The Lives And Thoughts Of Royce And Dewey Intertwined -- Common Themes Uniting The Late Royce And Dewey -- Some Chief Differences Of The Late Royce And Late Dewey -- Orientation To Religion In The Late Royce And Late Dewey -- Religion In The Late Royce And Late Dewey -- Part Iv: Comparative Summary -- The Problem Of Evil In Peirce, James, Dewey, And Especially Royce -- Epilogue: Four Philosophers' Interactions On Four Central Themes. Frank M. Oppenheim. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 481-490) And Index. In his review of The Life and Thought of Josiah Royce, Robert Burch states that its author, John Clendenning, succeeds in emphasizing Royce's relation to Charles Sanders Peirce.