The philosophical significance of Henry David Thoreau's life and
writings is far from settled. Although his best-known book, Walden, is
admired as a classic work of American literature, it has not yet been
widely recognized as an important philosophical text. In fact, many
members of the academic philosophical community in America would be
reluctant to classify Thoreau as a philosopher at all. The purpose of
this volume is to remedy this neglect, to explain Thoreau's
philosophical significance, and to argue that we can still learn from
his polemical conception of philosophy.
Thoreau sought to establish philosophy as a way of life, and to root our
philosophical, conceptual affairs in more practical or existential
concerns. His work provides us with a sustained meditation on the
appropriate conduct of life and the importance of leading our lives with
integrity, avoiding what he calls "quiet desperation." The contributors
to this volume approach Thoreau's writings from different angles,
collectively bringing to light what, in his own distinctive and
idiosyncratic way, this major American thinker has meant to multiple
areas of philosophical inquiry, and why he is still relevant. They show
how the imagination, according to Thoreau, might be related to the
disclosure of truth; they illuminate the nuances of embodied
consciousness and explore the links between moral character and
scientific knowledge. They clarify Thoreau's project by locating it in
relation to earlier philosophical authors and traditions, noting the
ways in which he either anticipated or
influenced a host of later thinkers. They explore his aesthetic views,
his naturalism, his theory of self, his ethical principles, and his
political stances. Most importantly, they show how Thoreau returns
philosophy to its roots as the love of wisdom.
