St. Louis Hegelians
Encyclopedia
The St. Louis Hegelians were a group of thinkers based in St. Louis, Missouri who flourished in the 1860s. They were influenced by German Idealism
and Hegelianism
. They were led by William Torrey Harris
and Henry Brokmeyer and were responsible for the publication of the Journal of Speculative Philosophy
from 1867 to 1893, a non–theological organ which published an early essay on Schiller written by Josiah Royce
. Other members of the school included William McKendree Bryant and Thomas Davidson.
, the St. Louis Hegelians viewed Transcendentalism in a mixed light. In the essay The Speculative, written by Harris
and published in the first issue of the Journal
, Harris criticized Transcendentalism
, claiming that the Transcendentalists had "truncated the dialectic" of the individual by focusing on individualism solely and not the "negative" element of a person's "interrelatedness with other individuals" in society.
German idealism
German idealism was a philosophical movement that emerged in Germany in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It developed out of the work of Immanuel Kant in the 1780s and 1790s, and was closely linked both with romanticism and the revolutionary politics of the Enlightenment...
and Hegelianism
Hegelianism
Hegelianism is a collective term for schools of thought following or referring to G. W. F. Hegel's philosophy which can be summed up by the dictum that "the rational alone is real", which means that all reality is capable of being expressed in rational categories...
. They were led by William Torrey Harris
William Torrey Harris
William Torrey Harris was an American educator, philosopher, and lexicographer.-Early life and career:Born in North Killingly, Connecticut, he attended Phillips Andover Academy, Andover, Massachusetts. He completed two years at Yale, then moved west and taught school in St...
and Henry Brokmeyer and were responsible for the publication of the Journal of Speculative Philosophy
Journal of Speculative Philosophy
The Journal of Speculative Philosophy is an academic journal that examines basic philosophical questions, the interaction between Continental and American philosophy, and the relevance of historical philosophers to contemporary thinkers...
from 1867 to 1893, a non–theological organ which published an early essay on Schiller written by Josiah Royce
Josiah Royce
Josiah Royce was an American objective idealist philosopher.-Life:Royce, born in Grass Valley, California, grew up in pioneer California very soon after the California Gold Rush. He received the B.A...
. Other members of the school included William McKendree Bryant and Thomas Davidson.
Transcendentalism
Although influenced by contemporaneous American TranscendentalistsTranscendentalism
Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that developed in the 1830s and 1840s in the New England region of the United States as a protest against the general state of culture and society, and in particular, the state of intellectualism at Harvard University and the doctrine of the Unitarian...
, the St. Louis Hegelians viewed Transcendentalism in a mixed light. In the essay The Speculative, written by Harris
William Torrey Harris
William Torrey Harris was an American educator, philosopher, and lexicographer.-Early life and career:Born in North Killingly, Connecticut, he attended Phillips Andover Academy, Andover, Massachusetts. He completed two years at Yale, then moved west and taught school in St...
and published in the first issue of the Journal
Journal of Speculative Philosophy
The Journal of Speculative Philosophy is an academic journal that examines basic philosophical questions, the interaction between Continental and American philosophy, and the relevance of historical philosophers to contemporary thinkers...
, Harris criticized Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that developed in the 1830s and 1840s in the New England region of the United States as a protest against the general state of culture and society, and in particular, the state of intellectualism at Harvard University and the doctrine of the Unitarian...
, claiming that the Transcendentalists had "truncated the dialectic" of the individual by focusing on individualism solely and not the "negative" element of a person's "interrelatedness with other individuals" in society.