"The Purpose of History" by Frederick James Eugene Woodbridge considers how studying the past shows a deeper understanding of life and the evolution of thought. Woodbridge's philosophical exploration of history is from a series of lectures given at the University of North Carolina. The book looks into how looking into historical events leads to questions about progress and purpose in what people do. Referencing thinkers such as Bergson, Dewey, and Santayana, the author builds on the idea that history is not just a collection of events but a constantly changing story that we understand better over time. Starting with the idea that serious reflection on history shows a will to understand life past simple experience, Woodbridge uses Herodotus to show that grasping history as selective and meaningful enriches our view of humanity.
The Purpose of History
By Frederick James Eugene Woodbridge
An intellectual journey explores not just what happened, but why, offering a profound understanding of human progress and our place in the grand narrative.
Summary
About the AuthorFrederick James Eugene Woodbridge was a teacher at various American universities. Woodbridge considered himself a naïve realist, deeply impressed with Santayana. He spent much of his career as a dean at Columbia University, where a residence hall and a professorship in philosophy are named in his honor. He was editor of the Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods. David and Lillian Swenson, translators of some of the works of Søren Kierkegaard, dedicated Concluding Unscientific Postscript, (1941) to Professor Woodbridge.
Frederick James Eugene Woodbridge was a teacher at various American universities. Woodbridge considered himself a naïve realist, deeply impressed with Santayana. He spent much of his career as a dean at Columbia University, where a residence hall and a professorship in philosophy are named in his honor. He was editor of the Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods. David and Lillian Swenson, translators of some of the works of Søren Kierkegaard, dedicated Concluding Unscientific Postscript, (1941) to Professor Woodbridge.
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