William Fontaine
Encyclopedia
William Thomas Valerio Fontaine (born William Thomas Fontaine; December 2, 1909 – December 29, 1968) was an American
philosopher
. Teaching at the University of Pennsylvania
from 1947 to 1967, he was an American Professor of philosophy in the Ivy League
.
, Pennsylvania
, an industrial town southwest of Philadelphia. His father worked in a steel mill on the Delaware River
. Enrolling in Chester High School at age twelve, he graduated in the top third of his class. After Fontaine’s parents died in the 1930s, his aunt raised his younger siblings and funded their continued education.
In 1926 Fontaine enrolled in Lincoln University
, a school about thirty miles west of Chester. He wrote poems and analytic essays for the school newspaper, in which he argued that African Americans needed to show “ability, aggressiveness, and cooperation” to succeed. He graduated first in his class in 1930.
Over the next six years, Fontaine taught Latin, history and government at Lincoln. He also pursued an M.A.
in Philosophy from the nearby University of Pennsylvania, which he earned in 1932. He earned his Ph.D.
in Philosophy from Penn in 1936.
He worked as a professor of philosophy and history at Southern University
in Louisiana from 1936 to 1942. Fontaine married an acquaintance from Philadelphia in 1936, Willabelle Hatton of Iva, S.C.,two children Jean and Vivian.
Fontaine returned to Penn in 1943 and audited graduate courses until 1946. Drafted during World War II
, Fontaine worked at Holabird Signal Depot in Baltimore
, Maryland
. He taught basic education to illiterate soldiers.
Fontaine joined the Penn faculty in 1947 as a lecturer
and was promoted to Assistant Professor two years later.
philosopher C. L. Stevenson, Fontaine called his own position a “modified ethical relativism
.” When a group desired a certain state of affairs, he argued, it might alter the attitudes fundamental to its ethical stance. For example, politicians offered employment to blacks during World War I
not in order to achieve occupational racial equality, but to avert defeat by Germany. Blacks may not have been as interested in the latter, but they certainly were in the better jobs.
household in Chester, Fontaine was a strong supporter of the New Deal
. During the Truman
and later McCarthy
eras, Fontaine supported the presidential candidacy of socially liberal Republican
governor
Harold Stassen
, who served as President of Penn from 1948 to 1953.
Fontaine was considerably more opposed to Communism
than even to the racism
in some Western democracies. As a result, he became a liberal internationalist
during the Cold War
. He supported Presidents Truman, Eisenhower
, and Kennedy
in their anti-Communist agendas. At the same time, he strongly supported the growing Civil Rights movement.
Fontaine expounded his civil rights views in Reflections on Segregation, Desegregation, Power, and Morals, published in 1967. While he supported racial equality, he argued that the growing Black Power
movement contained the same intellectual defects that existed in white racism, in that it sought preferential treatment for blacks and the non-participation of whites in black life. Considered too unfocused by contemporaries, the text received no reviews until 40 years after its publication.
in 1949. After working only one half-time and two years of medical leave, he returned to his normal Penn position in 1955. He received an assistant professorship in 1956, tenure in 1957, and an associate professorship in 1963.
Interested in growing African nationalism
in the era of decolonization
, Fontaine traveled worldwide to discuss Pan-African
issues. In 1959, he attended Pope John XXIII
’s address of thanks to those who promoted black culture. The next year, he traveled to Lagos
, Nigeria
, where he celebrated the inauguration of his classmate, Nnamdi Azikiwe
as Governor General. Two years later, as secretary of the American Society of African Culture
, he attended a conference on socialism
called by Senegal
ese President Léopold Sédar Senghor
.
With the worsening of his tuberculosis, Fontaine finished Reflections in 1967 and went on indefinite medical leave. After being confined to an apartment for over a year, he died on December 29, 1968.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
philosopher
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...
. Teaching at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
from 1947 to 1967, he was an American Professor of philosophy in the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
.
Early life and career
Fontaine was born in ChesterChester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, an industrial town southwest of Philadelphia. His father worked in a steel mill on the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. Enrolling in Chester High School at age twelve, he graduated in the top third of his class. After Fontaine’s parents died in the 1930s, his aunt raised his younger siblings and funded their continued education.
In 1926 Fontaine enrolled in Lincoln University
Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
Lincoln University is the United States' first degree-granting historically black university. It is located near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university also hosts a Center for Graduate Studies in the City of Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides...
, a school about thirty miles west of Chester. He wrote poems and analytic essays for the school newspaper, in which he argued that African Americans needed to show “ability, aggressiveness, and cooperation” to succeed. He graduated first in his class in 1930.
Over the next six years, Fontaine taught Latin, history and government at Lincoln. He also pursued an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Philosophy from the nearby University of Pennsylvania, which he earned in 1932. He earned his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Philosophy from Penn in 1936.
He worked as a professor of philosophy and history at Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
in Louisiana from 1936 to 1942. Fontaine married an acquaintance from Philadelphia in 1936, Willabelle Hatton of Iva, S.C.,two children Jean and Vivian.
Fontaine returned to Penn in 1943 and audited graduate courses until 1946. Drafted during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Fontaine worked at Holabird Signal Depot in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. He taught basic education to illiterate soldiers.
Fontaine joined the Penn faculty in 1947 as a lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
and was promoted to Assistant Professor two years later.
Philosophy
Influenced by emotivistEmotivism
Emotivism is a meta-ethical view that claims that ethical sentences do not express propositions but emotional attitudes. Influenced by the growth of analytic philosophy and logical positivism in the 20th century, the theory was stated vividly by A. J. Ayer in his 1936 book Language, Truth and...
philosopher C. L. Stevenson, Fontaine called his own position a “modified ethical relativism
Relativism
Relativism is the concept that points of view have no absolute truth or validity, having only relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration....
.” When a group desired a certain state of affairs, he argued, it might alter the attitudes fundamental to its ethical stance. For example, politicians offered employment to blacks during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
not in order to achieve occupational racial equality, but to avert defeat by Germany. Blacks may not have been as interested in the latter, but they certainly were in the better jobs.
Political views
Raised in an unusually DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
household in Chester, Fontaine was a strong supporter of the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
. During the Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
and later McCarthy
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957...
eras, Fontaine supported the presidential candidacy of socially liberal Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
governor
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
Harold Stassen
Harold Stassen
Harold Edward Stassen was the 25th Governor of Minnesota from 1939 to 1943. After service in World War II, from 1948 to 1953 he was president of the University of Pennsylvania...
, who served as President of Penn from 1948 to 1953.
Fontaine was considerably more opposed to Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
than even to the racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
in some Western democracies. As a result, he became a liberal internationalist
Internationalism (politics)
Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation among nations for the theoretical benefit of all...
during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. He supported Presidents Truman, Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, and Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
in their anti-Communist agendas. At the same time, he strongly supported the growing Civil Rights movement.
Fontaine expounded his civil rights views in Reflections on Segregation, Desegregation, Power, and Morals, published in 1967. While he supported racial equality, he argued that the growing Black Power
Black Power
Black Power is a political slogan and a name for various associated ideologies. It is used in the movement among people of Black African descent throughout the world, though primarily by African Americans in the United States...
movement contained the same intellectual defects that existed in white racism, in that it sought preferential treatment for blacks and the non-participation of whites in black life. Considered too unfocused by contemporaries, the text received no reviews until 40 years after its publication.
Later life, travels, and Penn career
Fontaine was diagnosed with tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in 1949. After working only one half-time and two years of medical leave, he returned to his normal Penn position in 1955. He received an assistant professorship in 1956, tenure in 1957, and an associate professorship in 1963.
Interested in growing African nationalism
African nationalism
African nationalism is the nationalist political movement for one unified Africa, or the less significant objective of the acknowledgment of African tribes by instituting their own states, as well as the safeguarding of their indigenous customs...
in the era of decolonization
Decolonization
Decolonization refers to the undoing of colonialism, the unequal relation of polities whereby one people or nation establishes and maintains dependent Territory over another...
, Fontaine traveled worldwide to discuss Pan-African
Pan-Africanism
Pan-Africanism is a movement that seeks to unify African people or people living in Africa, into a "one African community". Differing types of Pan-Africanism seek different levels of economic, racial, social, or political unity...
issues. In 1959, he attended Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
’s address of thanks to those who promoted black culture. The next year, he traveled to Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, where he celebrated the inauguration of his classmate, Nnamdi Azikiwe
Nnamdi Azikiwe
Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe , usually referred to as Nnamdi Azikiwe and popularly known as "Zik", was one of the leading figures of modern Nigerian nationalism who became the first President of Nigeria after Nigeria secured its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960; holding the...
as Governor General. Two years later, as secretary of the American Society of African Culture
American Society of African Culture
The American Society of African Culture is an organization of African American writers, artists, and scholars. The society was founded as a result of the Congress of Negro Writers and Artists in 1956. AMSAC sponsored a two-day festival in Lagos, Nigeria in 1962....
, he attended a conference on socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
called by Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese President Léopold Sédar Senghor
Léopold Sédar Senghor
Léopold Sédar Senghor was a Senegalese poet, politician, and cultural theorist who for two decades served as the first president of Senegal . Senghor was the first African elected as a member of the Académie française. Before independence, he founded the political party called the Senegalese...
.
With the worsening of his tuberculosis, Fontaine finished Reflections in 1967 and went on indefinite medical leave. After being confined to an apartment for over a year, he died on December 29, 1968.