The Mind of Charles Hartshorne

A book that is truly magisterial, in both its scope and quality, that is both an extended introduction to Hartshorne's life and thoughtanda thought-provoking interpretation for experts in the field of process thought. Quite an accomplishment! The authors rightly note that the closest anticipation of their work is Eugene Peters' 1970 book, Hartshorne and Neoclassical Metaphysics. But at the time of Peters' book only about half of Hartshorne's books had been published and his most systematic work, Creative Synthesis and Philosophic Method, had hardly been digested as that, too, appeared in 1970. Both Hartshorne's empirical works on sensation and bird song are treated as well as his famous metaphysical works on divine existence and divine actuality. Daniel A. Dombrowski, Professor of Philosophy, Seattle University Viney and Shields expertly take up the challenge of providing an intellectual biography of the only major philosopher to have lived in three centuries, Charles Hartshorne. Now, for the first time, we finally have an outstanding intellectual biography that encompasses Hartshorne's entire life and career. Its prodigious scope and intellectual depth echo that of Hartshorne himself. Including many resonances with the works of Charles Sanders Peirce and Alfred North Whitehead, this philosophical work should appeal to a very wide range of scholars, from ornithology to psychology, from aesthetics to philosophical theology, and from analytic philosophy and logic to physics. I highly recommend this work to most scientists, all philosophers, and anyone ready to be challenged by the quintessential 20thcentury philosopher. Timothy E. Eastman, space physicist, formerly with NASA, and philosopher The Mind of Charles Hartshornelucidly reflects Hartshorne's interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach to the core aspects of philosophy, theology, ornithology and psychology. It is an impressive compendium of the oeuvre of one of the most important scholars of the 20th century. Viney and Shields, both outstanding philosophers themselves and close students of Hartshorne's work, start their book with an acknowledgement of Hartshorne's biography and academic career. They continue with an examination of Hartshorne's writings--from his psychological findings and theories to his philosophical writings and finally his religious philosophy. Viney and Shields complete their book by showing the practical impact and relevance of Hartshorne's thought for the challenges of life. With this masterpiece, the authors forge a bridge from Hartshorne's earliest writings to his very last thoughts; they manage to highlight the golden thread of Hartshorne's mind that can be traced through all his writings. In many ways, Hartshorne was ahead of his time. Thanks to Viney and Shields, The Mind of Charles Hartshornecan illuminate the 21st century. There are books that should be on one's bookshelf, and there are those that belong on the one's desk. The Mind of Charles Hartshornecertainly belongs to the second category. Julia Enxing, Professor of Systematic Theology, University of Dresden, Germany