“During my first semester, I ran across an article on process theology (Lewis Ford’s “Divine Persuasion and the Triumph of the Good”),… I was hooked. I began buying books, and I started reading a lot of the process theologians and, eventually, Whitehead. I had finally found a philosophy that began to give voice to my intuitions.”
Bill Myers recently retired from Birmingham-Southern College. He is the co-editor of Thinking with Whitehead and the American Pragmatists (2015) and Philosophers of Process (1998) and is the author of many articles on Whitehead, process philosophy, metaphysics and the philosophy of religion. Since 2006 he has served as SAAP’s treasurer.
What does American philosophy mean to you?
I have tried a number of different approaches to answering this question, and they all sound, well, hokey. I have come to the conclusion that linguistic symbols are inadequate to express my thoughts on this question, so I have decided to turn to denotation. Anyone who is interested in what I think American philosophy is or what it means to me, all I can say is, come to SAAP. But don’t just come as a spectator—come, be present, be a participant, have food and beverages with us. For me SAAP embodies the spirit of American philosophy.
How did you become an American philosopher?
I entered college as a pre-seminary student and an evangelical fundamentalist. I have always been insatiably curious, so even before college, I studied the theology of my religion vigorously. I had my first encounter with philosophy in a high school course called Humanities. When I got to college, I decided to major in philosophy, mainly because the new honors college that was starting up was being run by the chair of the philosophy department.
That was a life-changing decision. During my first semester, I ran across an article on process theology (Lewis Ford’s “Divine Persuasion and the Triumph of the Good”), and I wrote a paper arguing that divine power is best conceived as persuasive rather than coercive. My professor was impressed with my grasp of process thought. I was hooked. I began buying books, and I started reading a lot of the process theologians and, eventually, Whitehead. I had finally found a philosophy that began to give voice to my intuitions. By the time I graduated, I considered myself to be a Whiteheadian. But at that point, I had not taken any traditional courses in American philosophy. Was I then an American philosopher?
At the University of Texas, I had the good fortune of studying with Douglas Browning. In my second semester, I took a course with him entitled “Peirce, James, and Dewey on the Starting Point.” In response to my first paper (on Chapter 1 of Experience and Nature), Doug said, “well, you didn’t get that at all.” I regrouped, and on my final paper, he wrote, “You got it!” and I was hooked yet again. I continued to study with Browning, taking not only his regular courses, but we also did a number of reading courses on Dewey and Whitehead. Of course he ended up directing my dissertation. I credit Doug Browning with my being an American philosopher.
How would you describe your current research?
In the aftermath of my recent retirement, I’m still trying to settle in and find my way. But I have a number of unfinished projects that I am slowly but surely returning to. I am currently working on a paper on Dewey’s ethics and metaphysics. A draft of this one has been in my files way too long. I will be digging for more, once this one has been submitted. Oh, and I am also leading three reading groups, two locally and one virtually.
What do you do when you’re not doing American philosophy?
One of my main loves is cooking. I love to cook, and I have a good eye for new recipes. I am not a chef (I am not creative about it), but I am a damn good cook. Our new house is a great place for gardening. I have an amazing herb garden, and I built a raised bed for my tomato plants. I try to do some work in the gardens every day.
Also, I’m starting to get back to reading things beyond my research and my reading groups. Every summer since 2007, I have read a book about Spinoza. This year, I read two. Also, I’m just starting to get back to reading some fiction. I recently picked up a book by John Gardner that I hadn’t seen before. I just started it. Ask me about it in six months…
What’s your favorite work in American philosophy? What should we all be reading?
Do I have to pick one? For me, these are two separate questions. My favorite works in American philosophy do not necessarily correspond with what I think we should all be reading. So, in turn. One of my all-time favorite books is Whitehead’s Science and the Modern World. There are a couple of places where it’s a bit dated, but the philosophical analysis is brilliant. From Dewey, I love Experience and Nature and Art as Experience. There are too many essays I could name, as well. Now, somewhat off the beaten path, I love Hartshorne’s The Divine Relativity.
As to what we should all be reading, there is a story that is often told about Whitehead at Harvard. He got in the elevator and there he ran into a student who was holding one of the volumes of Principia Mathematica. When Whitehead saw that, he reportedly said, “son, you would be better off reading Wordsworth.” In that spirit, we should be reading more literature and poetry. We would all be better off for it.