Journal of the History of Philosophy

Book Reviews Rice University Studies: Papers in Philosophy. Ed. by Katherine Fischer Drew (Houston, Texas: William Marsh Rice University, Vol. L, No. 1 [Winter, 1964]. Pp. 103.) This issue contains seven philosophical essays on varied topics by persons associated with Rice University. Three of these are historical studies. In "Whitehead's 'Footnote' to Berkeley," James Street Fulton draws some systematic analogies between the theories of sense perception of Berkeley and Whitehead. It is noted that Whitehead retains Berkeley's position that sense ideas are effects that are not, in turn, causes, while regarding sense qualities as emerging in processes derived from true causes' enactment of their reality in entities beyond themselves. By thus reconstructing reality in terms of process (what-is-coming-to-be uses what-is) involving "mental" and "physical" poles, Whitehead provides an alternative to Descartes' substances (in part retained in Berkeley's theory of spiritual substances) while at the same time carrying out Berkeley's intention of providing a solution to Cartesian duahsm and the epistemological skepticism which was its consequence. Certain affinities of Whitehead to Berkeley are worth noting, along with the fact, which the author also notes, that Whitehead is quite capable of expressing his thoughts without reference to Berkeley. In "Wittgenstein's 'Weltanschauung,'" Konstantin Kolenda sets forth a liberalized Witt' genstein who appreciated the immense complexity of linguistic uses, who provided a place for the invention of new ways of speaking whereby new light might be cast on particular problems, and who was not without "philosophical wonder." Kohnda makes the interesting assertion, "It may sound paradoxical, but I beheve that Wittgenstein could be regarded as a true existentialist. At least he was truer to the theme of existentialism than were many of its professed followers, for he had no existentialist philosophy/' Kolinda has set forth some aspects of Wittgenstein which are of late becoming better understood. If, however, he seriously wishes to imply that an existentialism may not with consistency declare the inadequacy or impossibility of an essentialist philosophy, then it may be suspected that he has himself made inadequate allowance for the complexity of hnguistic uses. "Some Visions of the Aesthete: Kierkegaard's Either/Or," by Louis Mackey, is taken from a chapter of a forthcoming book on existential philosophy to be edited by George A. Schroder and published by McGraw-Hill Co. Kierkegaard's philosophy is portrayed as taking as its central point that life cannot be defined without falsification. Man fashions himself upon his own immediacy. Kierkegaard's poetry of inwardness is found to delineate human nature in such a way that man's freedom is not systematically suppressed, but artfully released and made available for the responsibihties of ethical decisions and the trial of rehgious faith. The article should prove a useful introduction to Kierkegaard and should hold at least as much interest for the student of literature as for the student of philosophy. This issue also includes: "Natural Law and the Juridical Principle of Sufficient Reason," by Eduardo Garcia M~ynez; "Demythologizing and the Philosophia Perennis: Bultmann, Jaspers and Heidegger," by Niels C. Nielsen, Jr. ; "On Automatic Deduction," by John Alan Robinson; and "Literary Art and Moral Values," by Radoslav A. Tsanoff. While these articles are not of uniform significance, nor are they all significant in the same way, they are, on the whole, well worth reading and reflect credit upon the Department of Philosophy at Rice University. DARRELE. CHRISTENSEN Wo~ord College [83] ...