"Wilshire enlarges the history of American Pragmatism by reclaiming the Native American influence of Black Elk; rereading the work of Thoreau, Emerson, and William James in order to show the affinity between Shamanic spirituality and the phenomenology of these thinkers."
- Jonathan Lang
"Wilshire continues on a fearless path beyond traditional philosophical abstractions and what passes for "common sense" in our culture in order to open up new vistas on reality and the renewal of the spirit. This book takes the reader step by step into a deepening sense of how energies of the cosmos flow through our knowing bodies towards a new vision of existence that resonates with what Wilshire calls "primal philosophy," the mythic, and modern physics.
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- Glen Mazis
| The Primal Roots of American Philosophy Pragmatism, Phenomenology, and Native American Thought
Wilshire gives particular emphasis to the affinities between Black Elk's view of the hoop of the world and Emerson's notion of horizon, and also between a shaman's healing practices and James's ideas of pure experience, willingness to believe, and a pluralistic universe. As these connections come into focus, the book shows how European phenomenology was inspired and influenced by the classic American philosophers, whose own work reveals the inspiration and influence of indigenous thought. Order The Primal Roots of American Philosophy © 2004 Bruce Wilshire. All Rights Reserved. |
Continuing his quest to bring American philosophy back to its roots, Bruce Wilshire connects the work of such thinkers as Thoreau, Emerson, Dewey, and James with Native American beliefs and practices. His search is not for exact parallels, but rather for fundamental affinities between the equally "organismic" thought systems of indigenous peoples and classic American philosophers. 