Origins & Early Life

Josiah Royce (; November 20, 1855 – September 14, 1916) was an American pragmatist and absolute idealist philosopher and the founder of American idealism. His philosophical ideas included his joining of pragmatism and idealism, his philosophy of loyalty, and his defense of absolutism. Royce's essay "A Word for the Times" (December 1914) was quoted in the 1936 State of the Union Address by Franklin Delano Roosevelt: "The human race now passes through one of its great crises. New ideas, new issues – a new call for men to carry on the work of righteousness, of charity, of courage, of patience, and of loyalty.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

[...] I studied, I loved, I labored, unsparingly and hopefully, to be worthy of my generation." Royce, born on November 20, 1855, in Grass Valley, California, was the son of Josiah and Sarah Eleanor (Bayliss) Royce, whose families were recent English emigrants and who sought their fortune in the westward movement of the American pioneers in 1849. In 1875 he received a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley (which moved from Oakland to Berkeley during his matriculation), where he later accepted an instructorship teaching English composition, literature, and rhetoric...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adam Mickiewicz — Contemporary (Died in 1855) (1855): National Poet of Poland, Romantic master, and leading voice of Slavic literature.
• Andrew Mellon — Contemporary (Born in 1855) (1855): American banker, industrialist, and politician who served as Secretary of the Treasury.
• Arthur Guinness II — Contemporary (Died in 1855) (1855): Anglo-Irish brewer, banker, and politician who managed the expansion of the Guinness brewery.
• Alexander Prokhorov — Contemporary (Born in 1916) (1916): Soviet physicist renowned for foundational work in quantum electronics and laser development.
• Bernard Lewis — Contemporary (Born in 1916) (1916): Influential historian of Near Eastern Studies, specializing in the history of Islam.
• Beverly Cleary — Contemporary (Born in 1916) (1916): Pioneering author of children's literature, celebrated for emotional realism in middle-class narratives.
• Barbara Hendricks — Shared historical date (11-20 · Born) (1948): Acclaimed American lyric soprano known for opera and jazz performances.
• Benedetto Croce — Shared historical date (11-20 · Died) (1952): Italian idealist philosopher, historian, and political liberal.
• Alexander von Humboldt — Shared historical date (09-14 · Born) (1769): German polymath, geographer, and naturalist who pioneered biogeography and modern science.
• Allan Bloom — Shared historical date (09-14 · Born) (1930): American philosopher and classicist known for championing Great Books education.
• 1855 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1855
• November 20 (11-20) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on November 20
• 1916 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1916
• September 14 (09-14) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on September 14