This 1897 volume constitutes a rigorous debate between Royce and three other scholars: Professor Joseph Le Conte, Professor G. H. Howison, and Professor Sidney Edward Mezes. Royce’s title essay is followed by criticisms from each professor. Royce then responds to his critics, defending his original thesis, which derives from his idealist philosophy.
Circa l’autore
Josiah Royce (1855-1916) was an American idealist philosopher profoundly influenced by Hegel. He taught at the University of California at Berkeley and, at the behest of his friend and intellectual adversary William James, at Harvard. His best-known works include The Religious Aspect of Philosophy (1885), The Spirit of Modern Philosophy (1892), Studies of Good and Evil (1898), and The World and the Individual (1900-01).