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THE NEW PHILOSOPHY 



nJlfi 



PHI BETA KAPPA is a philosophical society. The easiest way to 

 prove this, however, is by the interpretation of the symbols "S.P." 

 (Societas Philosophiae) on the reverse of the badge rather than by 

 the interrogation of the individual members. The confession of faith, 

 as you have heard this evening, is the motto "Philosophy the Guide of 

 LhV " The society was born in 1776 when it was quite the fashion to 

 thii..: in terms of such universals as freedom, equality, and inalienable 

 rights; and when it was the habit to dream of a quite perfect world, 

 perhaps very near at hand, where a new and good philosophy would 

 gui^ us. I do not intend to give too much credit to the college lads of 

 "V\ im and Mary of one hundred and fifty years ago. The motto was 

 easy to adopt because it probably meant to them that the set of current 

 principles then actually guiding men in the conduct of life, did, as a 

 m> J ;ter of fact, constitute the true faith worthy of all men to be believed. 

 This is generally what we intend when we adopt high sounding princi- 

 ple^ 1 . We mean that the actually prevailing philosophy here and now 

 g , ieable to us and accepted by us is a proper guide of life. The college 

 bo; of 76 did not intend by their motto to invoke allegiance to an 

 u * alized principle, to a principle of life not yet attained, which had 

 tc ) fought for at great risk. They did not mean to challenge conven- 

 tio. J. truth or to align themselves with the promoters of the latest fads 

 i: nnilosophy. The motto of the society, then as now, was capable of 

 a g 1 xriously elastic interpretation. Each generation may interpret it 

 as it pleases; in fact, each individual writer of a Phi Beta Kappa ad- 

 dress may give it a meaning quite different from that adopted by any 

 other writer. Fortunately our motto can be the text of an infinite num- 

 ber of sermons. 



One of my purposes this evening will be to recall to you the story of 

 the development of the New Learning or the Experimental Philosophy, 

 as it is called, which took its hold on the world about three centuries 

 ago. I shall attempt to picture especially its development in England, 

 fv/ then I can clothe the figures with familiar garments and can illu- 

 minate the story with contemporary gossip more or less familiar to all 

 of you. The second purpose of my address will be to appraise the new 

 philosophy and to attempt to pronounce upon it an appropriate ver- 

 dict, and, finally, to accompany it with as much moralizing as I think 

 the present company will stand. 



The contrast between a conventional philosophy and a new or ex- 

 pectant philosophy is always carefully regarded by each successive 



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