American philosophy

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/american-philosophy

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is American philosophy known for?Pragmatism and Transcendentalism are distinct philosophical movements originating in the U.S
2. What is the tradition character?A dynamic tradition reflecting and shaping collective American identity
3. What is the foundational influence?Early American philosophy was largely an extension of the European Enlightenment
4. What is American philosophy and how is it different from European ideas?American philosophy is a lively tradition that grew in the United States, mixing ideas from Europe with new American thoughts. It reflects and shapes how people in the U.S. think and act.
5. Who are some important American philosophers mentioned in the article?William James is famous for pragmatism, and Ralph Waldo Emerson is a key figure in transcendentalism. Both helped create new ways of thinking about truth and nature.

Corpus: A comprehensive collection or body of written works or ideas belonging to a particular field or author.
Enlightenment: An 18th-century European intellectual and cultural movement emphasizing reason, individualism, and skepticism towards tradition.
Pragmatism: A philosophical approach that assesses the truth of theories or beliefs in terms of their practical application and consequences.
Transcendentalism: A philosophical and literary movement emphasizing intuition, individual experience, and the inherent goodness of humanity and nature.