F. H. Bradley

Francis Herbert Bradley was a prominent British idealist philosopher. He lived from January 30, 1846, to September 19, 1924. Bradley was born in Clapham, Surrey, England. His father, Charles Bradley, was an evangelical Anglican preacher. His brother, A. C. Bradley, was a scholar of literature. Bradley studied at Cheltenham College and Marlborough College. He later entered University College, Oxford, in 1865. In 1870, he became a fellow at Merton College. He remained at Merton College until his death.

Bradley was a leading figure in the movement known as British idealism. This school of thought was influenced by German thinkers. These included Immanuel Kant, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling, and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. Although influenced by Hegel, Bradley developed his own unique brand of philosophy. He utilized elements of Hegel's dialectical method. His outlook was characterized by a monistic unity. This means he sought to transcend divisions between logic, metaphysics, and ethics. He combined this monism with absolute idealism.

In his work on epistemology, Bradley explored how we understand truth. Epistemology is the study of knowledge. In 1909, he published an essay titled "On Truth and Coherence." This essay criticized a concept called infallibilist foundationalism. Some scholars, such as Robert Stern, suggest Bradley used coherence as a test for truth. He also proposed a novel theory regarding facts. Bradley argued that facts can justify our beliefs. However, he believed no fact is immune to revision. He stated that facts are true only so far as they contribute to the order of experience.

Bradley also had specific views on how we reach historical facts. He believed these facts are reached through an inferential process. An inference is a conclusion reached based on reasoning. For Bradley, a historical fact is a conclusion. He argued that our realities are built from explicit or hidden inferences. Therefore, the actuality of a fact depends on the correctness of the reasoning used. This means facts are fundamentally inferential in nature. This perspective connects the way we think to the way we understand history.

In the field of moral philosophy, Bradley asked, "Why should I be moral?" He criticized the utilitarian theories of his time. These theories were represented by thinkers like John Locke, Jeremy Bentham, David Hume, and John Stuart Mill. Bradley rejected individualism in ethics. Instead, he argued that the self and morality are essentially social. He believed our moral duty involves cultivating an "ideal good self." This process happens in opposition to a "bad self." He suggested that following religion could help realize this ideal self.

However, Bradley noted that society alone cannot be the source of morality. He recognized that some societies might require moral reform from within. Such reform must rely on standards that come from somewhere other than that specific society. His ideas on the social self relate to several other thinkers. These include Fichte, George Herbert Mead, and proponents of pragmatism. His views are also compatible with modern concepts like anti-individualism. This includes the work of thinkers such as Richard Rorty.

After his death, Bradley's reputation in philosophy declined significantly. This was due to several historical and intellectual factors. Philosophers G. E. Moore and Bertrand Russell attacked "Neo-Hegelianism." Additionally, the First World War caused a rise in anti-German sentiment. This helped British Idealism fall out of favor in Anglo-American philosophy. A. J. Ayer also criticized Bradley in his work, "Language, Truth and Logic." Ayer used the logical positivist verification principle to challenge Bradley's statements. One example was Bradley's claim about "The Absolute."

Despite this decline, there has been a recent resurgence of interest in Bradley. Many scholars in the Anglo-American community are studying his work again. He also left a mark on literature. The poet T. S. Eliot wrote a PhD dissertation on Bradley at Harvard University. The dissertation was titled "Knowledge and Experience in the Philosophy of F. H. Bradley." Because of the First World War, Eliot could not return to Harvard for his oral defense. Consequently, the university never officially conferred his degree. Nevertheless, Bradley's ideas continued to influence Eliot's poetry.