![]() ![]() In doing so, Menand traces a history of ideas in the United States from immediately prior to the Civil War to the beginning of the Cold War. Their ideas were profoundly influenced by the American Civil War, and they came up. The topic of discussion was philosophy, which the members believed should be practical rather than theoretical. He then shows the philosophical, political, and cultural impact that these men went on to have. The Metaphysical Club is a book about a conversation group formed in 1872 that included American philosophers Oliver Wendell Holmes and John Dewey. The subtitle of the book belies its true mission: ‘a story of ideas in America.’ Menand discusses the intellectual and social conditions that helped shape these men by the time they were members of the Club. ![]() ![]() Menand utilizes the Club as a jumping-off point for a sweeping analysis of the beliefs of the day. There is no record of the Club’s discussions or debates-in fact, the only direct reference to the Club is made by Peirce in a letter written thirty-five years later. Its membership roster listed some of the greatest intellectuals of the day: Charles Peirce, William James, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Chauncey Wright, amongst others. The Metaphysical Club of the title was a conversation group that met in Cambridge for a few months in 1872. Louis Menand’s The Metaphysical Club, daunting in its choice of subject matter, closely aligns itself with the ancient sense of the word ‘history’ as a fluid, almost epic narrative. ![]()
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