A Companion to Nineteenth-Century Philosophy

Investigate the challenging and nuanced philosophy of the long nineteenth century from Kant to Bergson

Philosophy in the nineteenth century was characterized by new ways of thinking, a desperate searching for new truths. As science, art, and religion were transformed by social pressures and changing worldviews, old certainties fell away, leaving many with a terrifying sense of loss and a realization that our view of things needed to be profoundly rethought.

The Blackwell Companion to Nineteenth-Century Philosophy covers the developments, setbacks, upsets, and evolutions in the varied philosophy of the nineteenth century, beginning with an examination of Kant’s Transcendental Idealism, instrumental in the fundamental philosophical shifts that marked the beginning of this new and radical age in the history of philosophy. Guiding readers chronologically and thematically through the progression of nineteenth-century thinking, this guide emphasizes clear explanation and analysis of the core ideas of nineteenth-century philosophy in an historically transitional period. It covers the most important philosophers of the era, including Hegel, Fichte, Schopenhauer, Mill, Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche, Bradley, and philosophers whose work manifests the transition from the nineteenth century into the modern era, such as Sidgwick, Peirce, Husserl, Frege and Bergson.

The study of nineteenth-century philosophy offers us insight into the origin and creation of the modern era. In this volume, readers will have access to a thorough and clear understanding of philosophy that shaped our world.

Notes on Contributors ix

Preface xiii

Chronology of Nineteenth-Century Philosophers xv

Timeline of Philosophers xvi

Introduction 1
John Shand

1 Transcendental Idealism: Kant 20
John J. Callanan

2 Theory of Science: Fichte, Schelling 55
Gabriel Gottlieb

3 Absolute Idealism: Hegel 83
Sebastian Stein

4 The World as Will and Representation: Schopenhauer 117
Mary S. Troxell

5 Historicizing Naturalism: Mill, Comte 140
Christopher Macleod

6 The Single Individual is Higher than the Universal: Kierkegaard 160
Karl Aho and C. Stephen Evans

7 The Rise of Liberal Utilitarianism: Bentham, Mill 185
Piers Norris Turner

8 Critique of Religion: Strauss, Feuerbach, Marx 212
Todd Gooch

9 Historical Materialism: Marx 236
Jan Kandiyali

10 Philosophy and Historical Meaning: Schleiermacher, Dilthey 261
Benjamin D. Crowe

11 Late Utilitarian Moral Theory and Its Development: Sidgwick, Moore 281
Anthony Skelton

12 American Pragmatism: Peirce, James 311
Douglas McDermid

13 The Value of Our Values: Nietzsche 339
Andrew Huddleston

14 British Idealism: Green, Bradley, McTaggart 365
James Connelly and Giuseppina D’Oro

15 Neo‐Kantianism: Marburg, Southwest Schools 389
Evan Clarke

16 The Origins of Phenomenology in Austro‐German Philosophy: Brentano, Husserl 418
Guillaume Fréchette

17 New Logic and the Seeds of Analytic Philosophy: Boole, Frege 454
Kevin C. Klement

18 Time, Memory and Creativity: Bergson 480
Michael R. Kelly

Index 506

John Shand is Honorary Associate in Philosophy at the Open University. He has taught at the University of Cambridge, the University of Manchester, and the Open University. He is the author and editor of several books, in addition to numerous articles and reviews.

"This impressive book does much to confirm Shand's conviction that the 'long' nineteenth century, from Kant to Bergson, was the most vibrant period in Western philosophy since the Ancient Greeks. It provides expert guidance to readers seeking further understanding of famous figures like Nietzsche and Marx, acquaintance with unjustly neglected thinkers such as Bradley and Taine, or a perspicuous overview of an age of remarkable intellectual energy."
—David Cooper, Durham University

"This volume provides an excellent survey of the diverse philosophical strands in the second great intellectual revolution in human history — the post-Enlightenment upsurge that rivalled and completed the Greek beginning. The contributions, which range from Kant to Bergson, are marked by impeccable scholarship and philosophical sophistication. This book will be invaluable for students and advanced researchers alike."
—Michael Inwood, Trinity College, Oxford

"Wiley Blackwell, and editor John Shand, have produced a wonderful volume devoted to nineteenth-century philosophy. Aside from the quality of the individual articles, the volume includes a wide-ranging selection of thinkers working during a volatile time in the academy. Most laudable is the inclusion of works by Bretano, Bradley, and Bergson alongside the standard figures (Kant, Hegel, Mill, etc.), and the inclusion of American pragmatism. This is a must-have volume, not only for philosophers, but for anyone wanting to get a grasp on the intellectual turmoil that informs our ideas to this day. I recommend it enthusiastically."
—Michelle Gilmore-Grier, University of San Diego

Philosophy in the nineteenth century was characterized by new ways of thinking, a desperate searching for new truths. As science, art, and religion were transformed by social pressures and changing worldviews, old certainties fell away, leaving many with a terrifying sense of loss and a realization that the dominant systems of thought needed to be profoundly reimagined.

A Companion to Nineteenth-Century Philosophy surveys the major intellectual developments, setbacks, upsets, and revolutions in the study and practice of philosophy during the nineteenth century, and reveals the origins of contemporary trends in the discipline. Beginning with an examination of Kant's Transcendental Idealism, which was instrumental in the fundamental philosophical shifts that marked the beginning of this new and radical age in the history of philosophy, John Shand guides readers chronologically and thematically through the ideological turning points of this historically transitional period. Chapters written by an international and multi-disciplinary group of scholars examine the most significant and influential philosophers of the era, including Hegel, Fichte, Schopenhauer, Mill, Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche, and Bradley, as well as their interlocutors Sidgwick, Peirce, Husserl, Frege, and Bergson whose thought laid the groundwork for the modern era.

Historically informative and philosophically thorough, A Companion to Nineteenth-Century Philosophy is an authoritative and readable reference that paints a vivid picture of the philosophical landscape of the nineteenth century which shaped the modern world.