America the Philosophical :: Philosophy Science Papers

the States the PhilosophicalAlthough convention dictates that America is an unphilosophical sort of country, fonder of tiptop Bowls than supervenience, the development of doctrine away from Socratic strategies that presume utter(a) right answers to the unblemished philosophical problems suggests a second look is in order. This is particularly true if one accepts m either of the notions currently in the line of business about post-modern or post-analytic philosophy that its roots lie in undefiledal rhetoric and pragmatism, or that its notion of truth holds the latter to be what issues from the virtually wide-open sort of in fashion modeled deliberation possible. In that case, it begins to seem as if America is to philosophy as Italy is to art, or Norway to skiing a suddenly designed environment for the practice. This, at least, is the provocation intended by this paper. America the Philosophical? It sounds like Canada the Exhibitionist or France the Unassuming a rational misc ue, a delusional academic tic, a Dead-On-Arrival body emitting gases of pure able wish-fulfillment. Everyone knows that Americans dont take philosophy seriously, dont know much about it, dont pay any attention to it, and couldnt name a contemporary academic philosopher if their passports depended on it. As historian Richard Hofstadter drily observed in his Pulitzer-Prize-winning Anti-Intellectualism in American feel (1962), In the United States the play of the mind is perhaps the only form of play not looked upon with the well-nigh tender indulgence.But if the title phenomenon of Hofstadters classic indeed boasts a long, historical background, the peculiar attitude directed at philosophy softens that hostility by increasing the dosage of unfamiliarity or contempt. Philosophy often seems sufficiently unthreatening to the practical on-the-go American that Arthur Schlesingers vinegarish old charge that on these shores, Anti-intellectualism has long been the anti-Semitism of the bu sinessman feels overwrought. The American middle manager confronted with a devoted philosophy type is most presumable to recycle the old cliche, What are you going to do, open a philosophy store?, and leave it at that. If, of course, the information has been accurately downloaded. signalise your middlebrow seatmate on an commuter flight that youre in philosophy and the reply is likely to be, Oh, thats great. My niece is in psychology too.The infrequent philosophy blips on Americas media screens suggest that philosophy doesnt quite register on the American psyche with the gravitas professionals in the field might like. According to the Macys window of American gossip, the New York aims Page Six, model emeritus Lauren Hutton regards Camille Paglia, the medias 15-minute joy-toy of the 80s, as the greatest life-time American philosopher.