Subject Area
History
Description
Most, if not all, fields of study operate almost like a conversation. Significant figures influence those after them and were themselves influenced by their predecessors. Philosophy, as a broader academic discipline, is no exception to this. Generally when the function of intellectual influence is considered it is only between pairs of notable thinkers. By treating the subject genealogically a historian can uncover significantly longer chains of influence. This paints an international and intergenerational picture that accounts for the ways various ideas have evolved, who they shifted through, and how different people played a role in the formation of subsequent philosophers. It is a distinctly historical endeavour, where specific philosophical ideas themselves functionally become historical artefacts. The efficacy of such an approach is well evident in the lasting influence of the father of American Transcendentalism, Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Emerson’s concepts of Intuition and Oversoul are of particular interest in each of their respective impacts on those philosophers who were inspired by them. William James, founder of the philosophical school known as Pragmatism, incorporated Emerson’s Intuition into his broader arguments regarding the nature of epistemology. Through James, Japanese philosopher Kitaro Nishida encountered the concept of Intuition and also assimilated it into his personal philosophical positions. In this first case it is demonstrably clear that Emerson, who enjoyed primarily regional recognition in his time, indirectly extended his influence across the world. Similarly, Emerson’s idea of the Oversoul would be taken up by the renowned Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche was incredibly interested in Emerson since his youth, and would repurpose the Oversoul into the Overman. In turn, the English singer/songwriter David Bowie discovered and grew interested in Nietzsche’s philosophy by the late 20th century. Bowie was so impacted by Nietzsche’s Overman that he wrote a song directly addressing it. In this case, this second genealogical chain of influence stemming from Emerson, it is clear that the first Transcendentalist’s philosophy’s influence lasted long after he had passed. As a historical tool, a genealogy of ideas functions to do exactly this. To uncover and trace the varieties of influence as different philosophers and thinkers inspired one another across ages and borders.
Publisher
Providence College
Academic Year
2021-2022
Date
Spring 2022
Type
Thesis
Format
Text
Language
English
