Royce's Early Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

T HE voluntarism which is so characteristic a part of Royce's mature philosophy had its beginnings in the very earliest stages of Royce's philosophical thinking. But whereas in the later stages it was called to do service to his absolutism, in the early stages it was made the basis of a relativistic, pragmatic philosophy. As such it colored all the various aspects of Royce's early philosophy and particularly his philosophy of religion. The religious consciousness, according to Royce, is primarily concerned with the problem of salvation. It is incumbent upon the philosopher of religion, therefore, to inquire into the nature and possibility of that salvation. Before the metaphysics of salvation can be adequately dealt with, however, it is necessary to enter into a discussion of the epistemological problem. In the year 1878, in his unpublished Thought Diary, Royce wrote: Every man lives in a Present, and contemplates a Past and Future. In this consists his whole life. The Future.and Past are shadows both, the Present is the only real. Yet in the contemplation of the Shadows is the Real wholly occupied; and without the Shadows this Real has for us neither life nor value. No more universal fact of consciousness can be mentioned than this fact which therefore deserves a more honorable place in Philosophy than has been accorded to it.2