Write an essay that addresses the following question: What do you think is the difference between American Philosophy and the Philosophy in America? Defend your answer.

American Philosophy and Philosophy in America

It is common knowledge that Europe was the philosophical capital of the world in the 1900s. America was merely a small part of that capital which is why American Philosophy is known for its European descent. The foundations which were laid by European philosophers were built upon by eager American philosophers like William James. However, the tides began to turn when American philosophers like S. Peirce contributed to the field and gained significant recognition in Europe primarily because of the attention Ernst Schroeder gave it in his important VORLESUNGEN UEBER DIE ALGEBRA DER LOGIK. A century later, America had produced more philosophers and students of the discipline than all of the European countries combined. This dramatic event gave rise to the term American Philosophy. It is worth mentioning that European students now travel to America in order to take advantage of the highly conducive environment and because the American Ph.D. programs are known to give a broad and thorough education in philosophy, with great stress on written work (Brunson, 33 to 54).

The term American Philosophy pertains to the contributions that were made to the philosophical field by American philosophers. It has tended to primarily include the philosophical work done by Americans within the geographical confines of the United States. In retrospect, the existing output or philosophical activity in America constitutes the term “Philosophy in America”. It is imperative to shed light on both the terms systematically in order to be clear about what each term signifies (Brunson, 33 to 54).

American Philosophy

Several leading European philosophers immigrated to the United States following the Nazi seizure of power and continuing through World War II and beyond. These immigrants interacted fruitfully with the American tradition of pragmatism, resulting in the characteristic shape of late twentieth-century American Philosophy. These developments were the major reasons for the shift of the European Philosophical capital to the Americas. If we look at the chronology of the American philosophy, we would find several eras in which the discipline was significantly worked upon in order to bring it to its current position. We know that the 17th century was the era when Europe owned this field. In the 19th century, the American Philosophy was dissected in two halves. The earlier half being marked by Puritan Calvinism, and the latter characterized by the American incarnation of the European Enlightenment that is associated with the political thought of the Founding Fathers. The concept of “themes” is generally attributable to American Philosophy. American Philosophy is in fact the literary treatment of philosophical themes and the philosophical treatment of issues raised by literature.

Philosophy in America

The prevalent school of thought that has been shaped by the American Philosophy to reach its current state is termed as “Philosophy in America”. It is worth mentioning that the most significant factor in this regard is the rejection ...