Open Court Publishing Company
Encyclopedia
The Open Court Publishing Company is a publisher with offices in Chicago
and La Salle, Illinois
. It is part of the Carus Publishing Company
of Peru, Illinois
.
of the Matthiessen-Hegeler Zinc Company, at one time the largest producer of zinc
in the United States
. Hegeler intended for the firm to serve the purpose of discussing religious and psychological problems on the principle that the scientific world-conception should be applied to religion. Its first managing editor was Paul Carus
, Hegeler's son-in-law. Open Court specializes in philosophy
, science
, and religion
, and was one of the first academic press
es in the country. It was one of the first publishers of inexpensive editions of the classics. It also published the journals Open Court and The Monist
—the latter is still being published as of 2010.
, The Simpsons
and Buffy the Vampire Slayer propelled the series into the limelight, and have invited many imitators since, including The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series and The University Press of Kentucky's own Philosophy titles.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and La Salle, Illinois
La Salle, Illinois
LaSalle is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States, located at the intersection of Interstates 39 and 80. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area. Originally platted in 1837 over one square mile, the city has grown to...
. It is part of the Carus Publishing Company
Carus Publishing Company
The Carus Publishing Company is a publisher with offices in Chicago, Peru, Illinois, and Peterborough, New Hampshire. It owns the Open Court Publishing Company as well as the Cricket Magazine Group, and Cobblestone Publishing...
of Peru, Illinois
Peru, Illinois
Peru is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,295 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area...
.
History
Open Court was founded in 1887 by Edward C. HegelerEdward C. Hegeler
Edward C. Hegeler was a United States zinc manufacturer and publisher.-Biography:...
of the Matthiessen-Hegeler Zinc Company, at one time the largest producer of zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Hegeler intended for the firm to serve the purpose of discussing religious and psychological problems on the principle that the scientific world-conception should be applied to religion. Its first managing editor was Paul Carus
Paul Carus
Paul Carus, Ph.D. was a German-American author, editor, a student of comparative religion, and professor of philosophy.-Life and education:...
, Hegeler's son-in-law. Open Court specializes in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, and religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, and was one of the first academic press
University press
A university press is an academic, nonprofit publishing house that is typically affiliated with a large research university, and publishes work that has been reviewed by scholars in the field. It produces mainly scholarly works...
es in the country. It was one of the first publishers of inexpensive editions of the classics. It also published the journals Open Court and The Monist
The Monist
The Monist: An International Quarterly Journal of General Philosophical Inquiry is an American academic journal in the field of philosophy. It was founded in October 1890 by Edward C. Hegeler, making it one of the longest-established journals in philosophy...
—the latter is still being published as of 2010.
Popular culture & philosophy series
One of Open Court Publishing's best-selling series is its semi-annual Popular Culture & Philosophy series, under the editorship of George Reisch. Volumes on the philosophy underpinning such television shows as SeinfeldSeinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
and Buffy the Vampire Slayer propelled the series into the limelight, and have invited many imitators since, including The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series and The University Press of Kentucky's own Philosophy titles.
External links
- Official site
- Open Court Publishing Company Records, 1886-1953 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Special Collections Research Center