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This book examines some of the central logical and epistemological doctrines of British idealist philosopher, F. H. Bradley. Through a detailed analysis of Bradley's doctrine of judgment and its relation to "feeling, Phillip Ferreira views as mistaken recent efforts to see Bradley as a writer in the tradition of anglo-empiricism. And, though the significance of Bradley's thought remains great, Ferreira contends that it stands at a considerable distance from mainstream philosophical analysis. Arguing against those who see Bradley as either a skeptic or a mystic, Bradley and the Structure of Knowledge places the thought of the nineteenth century Oxford philosopher where it was originally understood to belong-firmly in the tradition of rationalistic idealism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A fine entry into Bradley's thought
Phillip Ferreira has here made a tremendous contribution to what seems to be a developing renaissance in Bradley studies (and Idealist studiesgenerally).

Concerned to subvert recent misunderstandings of Bradley'sthought that would assimilate him to the tradition of British empiricism,Ferreira provides a detailed and highly readable exposition of Bradley'sdoctrines of truth, judgment, and "feeling" that restores him tohis proper place in the tradition of rationalism and Idealism.

This volumeis an excellent introduction to Bradley's thought in general, the more sobecause Bradley's own writings are so difficult to find. (James Allard andGuy Stock have helpfully collected some of his central texts in _F.H.Bradley: Writings on Logic and Metaphysics_, which makes a nice companionto the present volume.)

In it, Ferreira carefully examines and elaboratesBradley's understanding of _judgment_, which Ferreira describes as"_the_ basic act of cognition by which we knowingly encounterreality." The discussion turns to the relation between judgment andtruth, the relation between contradition and thought, the speciallyBradleian understanding of "coherence," and (very importantly)the relation between feeling and knowledge (which occupies two chapters).

Aclosing chapter considers criticisms of Bradley levelled by Russell andJames; a short conclusion argues briefly both that Bradley does not fiteasily into more recent philosophical categories, and that Bradley'sphilosophy might provide a needed corrective to more recent views that weeither have no access to the real or that such access provides no insightinto universal _value_.

An appendix delivers what seems to be a deathblowto recent views of Bradley as an Anglo-empiricist by considering hisrelations to what he regarded as the essentially empiricist view ofinference: associationism.

For Bradley, says Ferreira, "the truth isthe whole." It would perhaps not be unfair to regard this volume as anattempt to spell out in some detail what this doctrine meant to Bradley andto suggest that its meaning should be important to us today as well.

Forthose who, like me, have strong misgivings about the "analyticturn" in philosophy, this fine exposition of Bradley's thought will bemost welcome. And for those who, also like me, regard Brand Blanshard asthe finest of twentieth-century philosophers, this volume will be ofinterest as regards the Idealist tradition that was the strongest influenceon that giant of rationalism. ... Read more

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T. S. Elliot left Harvard during his third year of study in the department of philosophy and went to England. Forty-six years later he authorized the publication of his doctoral dissertation but the book is virtually impossible to find today.
Here we have a reprint of his sympathetic but not entirely uncritial study of the English idealist philosopher F. H. Bradley. Enthusiastic approval came to Eliot at the time from Harvard pragmatist Josiah Royce, who pronounced his writing of philosophy "the work of an expert."
Eliot's critical literary theory was deeply influenced by his early philosophical outlook. This rewarding book provides a potent refutation of the false but frequent claim that Eliot's poetic and critical intelligence had no philosophical writings, making this book indispensable to all literary critics and theorists. ... Read more

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This book is a major contribution to the study of the philosopher F. H. Bradley, the most influential member of the nineteenth-century school of British Idealists. It offers a sustained interpretation of Bradley's Principles of Logic, explaining the problem of how it is possible for inferences to be both valid and yet have conclusions that contain new information. The author then describes how this solution provides a basis for Bradley's metaphysical view that reality is one interconnected experience and how this gives rise to a new problem of truth. ... Read more

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William James (1842-1910) and Francis Herbert Bradley (1846-1924) were acknowledged as the leading American and British philosophers of their day. They never met, but corresponded, and commented upon each other's work. Although they are among the most influential and important philosophers of the past century, their major claims and arguments are often badly misunderstood and misinterpreted by philosophers. This comparative study aims to clarify their main claims and arguments, and to show that, while James' pragmatism and Bradley's monistic idealism are usually viewed as opposite extremes, their positions, in fact, display an intriguing mixture of affinities and contrasts, and are often derived from surprisingly similar premisses. They were also insightful critics of each other's work, James describing Bradley as "the bogey and bugbear" of most of his beliefs. Professor Sprigge examines and evaluates the views of each thinker on a large number of issues, including: the nature of truth; the logic of relations; personal identity; the place of consciousness in the world; monism and pluralism; God and the Absolute; and the experience and reality of time. ... Read more

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W. J. Mander provides a brief introduction to and critical assessment of the thought of the greatest of the British Idealist philosophers, F. H. Bradley (1846-1924), whose work has been largely neglected in this century. After a general introduction to Bradley's metaphysics and its logical foundations, Mander shows that much of Bradley's philosophy has been seriously misunderstood. Mander argues that any adequate treatment of Bradley's thought must take full account of his unique dual inheritance from the traditions of British empiricism and Hegelian rationalism. The scholarship of recent years is assessed, and new interpretations are offered of Bradley's views about truth, predication, and relations, and of his arguments for idealism. ... Read more

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An extensive list of Francis Herbert Bradley's works and the significant studies done on his philosophy. This bibliography contains more than 1,300 citations. ... Read more

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A collection of essays by Canadian contributors exploring various aspects of F.H. Bradley's thought. Essays include: "The Self and the Social Order" (Elizabeth Trott); "The Uses of Bradley's Absolute" (H.S. Harris); and "Feeling in Bradley's 'Ethical Studies'" (David Crossley). ... Read more

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Author gives a critical evaluation of Eliot's disagreements with the philosopher, providing an important new insight into Eliot's relationship language. ... Read more

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This collection of specially written papers on F. H. Bradley's philosophy makes accessible the writings of one of England's greatest philosophers. The contributors, finding in Bradley's writings arguments that extend topics currently at the forefront of philosophical thought, aim to show the relevance of Bradley's work to contemporary issues in logic, metaphysics, and moral and political philosophy. ... Read more