John Fiske (philosopher)

John Fiske was a prominent American philosopher and historian.

He lived from March 30, 1842, until July 4, 1901. Fiske was born Edmund Fiske Green in Hartford, Connecticut. His father was an editor for newspapers in several cities. These included Hartford, New York City, and Panama. After his father died in 1852, his mother remarried. Fiske then took the name of his maternal great-grandfather. He became known to the world as John Fiske. He spent his career exploring how human progress works.

Fiske showed great intelligence during his childhood years. He lived in Middletown with his grandmother. Before entering college, he studied English literature and history. He also excelled in Greek and Latin. He mastered several modern languages at a young age. This deep learning prepared him for Harvard University. He graduated from Harvard College in 1863. He later finished Harvard Law School in 1865. Although he was admitted to the bar in 1864, he did not practice law for long.

His professional life moved from law toward writing and teaching. He began writing articles in 1861. Because law did not earn him enough money, he wrote for many periodicals. These publications were based in both America and Britain. Between 1869 and 1871, he lectured on philosophy at Harvard. He also worked as a history instructor there. From 1872 to 1879, he served as an assistant librarian. Later, he became a professor of American history at Washington University in St. Louis. He also traveled to lecture in London and at the Royal Institution of Great Britain.

Fiske is perhaps most famous for his work on evolutionary theory. He was heavily influenced by the thinker Herbert Spencer. Fiske applied Spencer's evolutionary concepts to many different subjects. These included linguistics, religion, and history. He also provided a philosophical interpretation of Charles Darwin's work. Darwin himself admired Fiske's ability to explain complex ideas. In a letter from 1874, Darwin called him a very lucid expositor.

Fiske believed that intellectual force was more potent than physical strength. He argued that this growing intellect might even be immortal.

Fiske held complex views regarding science and religion. In his book *Outlines of Cosmic Philosophy*, he argued they were not in conflict. He believed that science and religion existed in harmony. He viewed Christianity as a religion that adapted to different stages of culture. He also explored the idea of God through modern knowledge. He suggested that the developing human mind reflects the mind of God. This view saw God as a cause that controls both physical and moral forces. He believed social conditions had actually diminished the power of natural selection on humans.

His historical work was just as vast as his philosophical studies. He wrote many books about the history of the United States. One major work was *The Discovery of America*, published in 1892. He also wrote about the American Revolution and the Mississippi Valley during the Civil War. He even edited *Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography* with James Grant Wilson. Fiske was a very active public speaker. He gave hundreds of lectures in major cities across the United States and Great Britain. His historical writings helped shape how people understood American beginnings.

Fiske's views on race were shaped by the scientific trends of the nineteenth century. During this time, some scientists believed brain size measured human performance. This included figures like Francis Galton and Paul Broca. Based on these ideas, Fiske believed in the superiority of the "Anglo-Saxon race." However, these beliefs did not stop him from supporting abolitionist causes. He was strongly against slavery. Twenty-three years after the Civil War ended, he called the North's victory complete. He dismissed the complaints of those who disagreed with the outcome.

By the end of his life, Fiske had left a massive intellectual legacy. His works were collected in an eleven-volume set titled *Historical Works*. He died in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on July 4, 1901.

His life's work connected the study of the past with the study of human evolution. He sought to understand how humanity moves from a brute state toward a higher level of thought. His many books and lectures continue to show his interest in the progress of the human mind.