Naturalism and Historical Understanding: Essays on the Philosophy of John Herman Randall, Jr. (review)

352 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY One learns of early influences at Harvard clearly discernible in Loewenberg's later writing. In spite of admitted exceptions he took to Royce's metaphysics, the author acknowledges that he learned as much from Royce as from Hegel and "that in the synthesis of unity and multiplicity, priority must be accorded to multiplicity." In this connection, James' concept of a pluralistic universe also had its appeal. The search for a method of explicating Hegel's Phenomenology in English (a work which Loewenberg notes is not only clearer in its original German but also in its French and Italian translations) can be traced over a long period of years. The eventual theme of that explication (Hegel's Phenomenology: Dialogues on the Life of Mind) as a "deeply conceived tragi-comedy of errors" (p. 82) is traced in part to an early French acquaintance, Ren6 Galland, and to a fascination for Meredith's "thoughtful laughter at Folly." One finds as consistently in the autobiography as in Loewenberg's other works a conviction that philosophy is related to art, stressing the value of multiple ways of seeing, the presentation of well-matched but opposed points of view. One learns of the existence of a completed but unpublished manuscript, a sequel to Dialogues from Delphi, a more extended inquiry into relations between philosophy and literature, and one again in dialogue form. Those of us who had the good fortune to have been Loewenberg's undergraduate or graduate students will recognize what he candidly confesses here: the determination to make each lecture a work of art. There is acknowledgement of influence of lectures of Professor Palmer, "models of clarity and simplicity," envisioning the attitudes of his students, not confusing "profundity with obscurity" (p. 60); a sharp and critical contrast is made between pedagogical practices which Loewenberg found typical of Berlin and of Paris. This courter of multiplicity and broadmindedness in philosophy, however, finds a destructive influence on students of language analysis pursued iiber alles. In deference to narrow analytical trends, a disturbing number of students have shown an intolerance of speculative thought, "inadequate attention to historical scholarship," hostility to metaphysics, and a lack of the sort of unbiased and patient approach necessary to examine such a philosopher as Hegel (Veterans of the author's beginning or advanced courses in Critique of Pure Reason, however, could have detected much in both that might have been termed "constructively analytical." And incidentally, these two courses are mentioned in the autobiography as having contributed more than any others to perfecting his teaching style (p. 139).) Historians of the University of California will obtain an inside view of the author's far-reaching participation in the University's political development, especially under President Barrows, and his role in the well-known loyalty oath controversy. Indeed, points may be found here which might be added, perhaps in a corrective way, to David P. Gardner's review of that controversy (The California Oath Controversy [Berkeley, 1967]). This account of the immigrant from Latvia who in 1904 registered for courses at Harvard and who could hardly understand a word of the lectures; who still at 85 engages engaging students at the Berkeley campus, affords a picture of determination and unbounded optimism, and an insatiable intellectual thirst probably best described by the title of the last chapter: "Zest for Life and Scholarship." One wishes that Loewenberg could violate his own ideal and become an established, unchanging part of our academic scene. JE~'~ G. HARI~ELL California State College at Hayward N.B.: Just as this was going to press, we learned the sad news of Professor Loewenberg's death on March 27, 1969. Professor Loewenberg was a friend to many of those connected with BOOK REVIEWS 353 the Journalo/the History o[ Philosophy,and we shall treasure the opportunities we have had to be associated with him.--R. I-L PoPKnq Naturalism and Historical Understanding: Essays on the Philosophy of John Herman Randall, Jr. Edited by John P. Anton. (Albany: State Univ. of New York Press, 1967. Pp. x+323. $10) This volume is a product of a birthday celebration arranged by friends of John Herman Randall, Jr., but at...