The Worldview of Personalism: Origins and Early Development (Oxford Theology and Religion Monographs)

## Abstract The book challenges the current view that personalism is primarily an early 20th-century phenomenon. The established definitions of personalism, mainly in terms of the American school of B. P. Bowne, are shown to fit broadly the positions of much earlier continental European and Scandinavian philosophers and theologians. The beginnings of specifically personalistic thought are traced to F. H. Jacobi’s criticism of pantheism, first set forth in the 1780s, and the work of the later F. W. J. Schelling. Its development is then identified in the work of selected, representative thinkers who, throughout the 19th century, build on or develop further positions established by Jacobi and Schelling, primarily the thinkers belonging to the broad current of so-called ‘speculative theism’ in Germany and in Sweden. The development of idealistic personalism in Britain by A. S. Pringle-Pattison, J. R. Illingworth, C. C. J. Webb and others is shown to be parallel to the emergence of the American school. It is argued that these should be seen as a continuation of the earlier European movement. Both the American and the British schools drew on the work of H. Lotze, but the book points to the neglected continental European background to Lotze, the current of personalistic, partly idealistic, and theistic philosophy of which Lotze’s work was only one, late variation. Discerning the central themes of the emerging worldview of personalism, the book establishes that they developed consistently in a broad, unitary movement with a distinct historical profile from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries, the nature and importance of which has heretofore been neglected in the history of philosophy and in historical theology.

personalism Is Understood Today As The Name Of An Important Current In Twentieth-century Thought Which, Inspired By The Christian And Humanistic Traditions Of The West, Has Sought To Deepen Our Understanding Of The Meaning And Value Of Human Personhood. Opposing Both Individualism And Collectivism, Personalism Has Stressed The Uniqueness Of Each Person, The Meaning And Value Of Interpersonal Relations, And The Unity That Holds Persons Together And Is, Ultimately, Also Personal In Itself: The Person Of God. Personalism's Insights Into The Nature Of Personhood Have Broad Implications For Our View Of Ethics, Politics, Education, And Religion. The History Of Personalism Has, However, Been Poorly Understood. Jan Olof Bengtsson Shows That Personalism Began As Early As The Eighteenth Century And Was A Central, International Current Of Thought Throughout The Nineteenth Century - That It Was, In Fact, More Characteristic Of The Nineteenth Century Than Of The Twentieth.

"Personalism is understood today as the name of an important current in twentieth-century thought which, inspired by the Christian and humanistic traditions of the West, has sought to deepen our understanding of the meaning and value of human personhood. Opposing both individualism and collectivism, personalism has stressed the uniqueness of each person, the meaning and value of interpersonal relations, and the unity that holds persons together and is, ultimately, also personal in itself: the person of God. Personalism's insights into the nature of personhood have broad implications for our view of ethics, politics, education, and religion. The history of personalism has, however, been poorly understood. Jan Olof Bengtsson shows that personalism began as early as the eighteenth century and was a central, international current of thought throughout the nineteenth century - that it was, in fact, more characteristic of the nineteenth century than of the twentieth."--Jacket Contents......Page 8 Introduction......Page 10 The view of the historians......Page 40 The view of the personalists......Page 58 2. Personal ‘reason’ and impersonal ‘understanding’......Page 76 Jacobi......Page 77 Schelling......Page 92 Speculative theism......Page 102 British personal idealism......Page 125 3. The personal absolute......Page 138 Jacobi......Page 143 Schelling......Page 151 Speculative theism......Page 160 British personal idealism......Page 186 4. Personal unity-in-diversity......Page 212 Jacobi......Page 214 Schelling......Page 221 Speculative theism......Page 226 British personal idealism......Page 249 5. Early personalism and its meaning......Page 280 Bibliography......Page 293 B......Page 306 C......Page 307 F......Page 308 G......Page 309 I......Page 310 J......Page 311 L......Page 312 N......Page 313 P......Page 314 R......Page 315 S......Page 316 T......Page 317 W......Page 318 Y......Page 319 Personalism is understood as the name of an important current in 20th-century thought. This is an account of the history of personalism, showing that personalism began as early as the 18th century and was a central current of thought throughout the 19th century Personalism exists in many different forms, and an exhaustive classification will not be attempted in this book.