Abstract
This chapter addresses the views of Josiah Strong and the link with Hegel’s thought. Strong was a prominent figure among Protestant missionaries in the United States, an important example of a politically active American missionary, influential on foreign policy, and a prominent thinker about philosophy of history. His connection to Hegel’s thought is evident when considering his general position, as well as his explicit references to Hegel.
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Notes
- 1.
We have already seen Macbride Sterrett. One prominent example of Hegelian influence is the School of Saint-Louis. On the reception of Hegel’s thought in America see, among others: Cook and Leavelle (1943), Muirhead (1928), Goetzmann (1973), Pochman (1970), Muelder and Sears (1940). See also Rogers (2005).
- 2.
He played a leading role in applying intense pressure on American foreign policy towards Turkey. On this topic see Reed (1972), who mainly deals with Strong’s activity in relation to the Armenian question.
- 3.
Hegel’s Lectures on the Philosophy of History (Vorlesungen über die Philosophie der Geschichte) were translated into English in 1861 by John Sibree, from the second edition of Hegel’s Werke, edited by Eduard Gans and Karl Hegel (1840). As noted earlier, Hegel’s published lectures were not written directly by Hegel: the text has been built by the editors from listeners’ transcripts. Knowledge of German thought was also spread through compendia of the main authors, such as Morris’s “Griggs’ Philosophical Classics,” a series which is focused on German thought (“Devoted to a Critical Exposition of the Masterpieces of German Thought”). In this series, as well as the compendium Hegel’s Philosophy of the State and History by Morris (1887), from which Strong’s quotations are taken, Hegel’s Logic by W.T. Harris (1890) was published. On G.S. Morris see Wenley (1917).
- 4.
- 5.
Strong here is quoting from Morris (1887, p. 181).
- 6.
Strong here is quoting from Morris (1887, p. 227).
- 7.
Strong cites Spencer’s assertion on the excellence, from a biological point of view, of a type of man made up of the best parts of the Aryan race, being more plastic and adaptable (Strong 1893, p. 172).
- 8.
- 9.
See Strong, who holds that English language “is the great agent of Christian civilization throughout the world” (Strong 1885, p. 178). He also cites German philologist Jacob Grimm about his statement of the excellence of the German language (p. 179).
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Ventura, L. (2018). The Presence of Hegelian Elements in the Thought of Josiah Strong. In: Hegel in the Arab World. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78066-5_10
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