USERNAME 
PASSWORD 
Subscriber? · Lost password?
Lost username? · More help
Archive > 2008 > Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul
March 26, 2008 · No Comment · Previous · Next  

Melville on Life and Philosophy

[Image]
Thomas Eakins, Mending the Net (1881)

“You speak of a certain philosophy, and a more or less occult one it may be, and hint of its bearing upon practical life; pray, tell me, if the study of this philosophy tends to the same formation of character with the experiences of the world?”

“It does; and that is the test of its truth; for any philosophy that, being in operation contradictory to the ways of the world, tends to produce a character at odds with it, such a philosophy must necessarily be but a cheat and a dream.”

Herman Melville, The Confidence-Man: His masquerade, ch. 37 (1857)

Previous · Next · More No Comment · Respond via email
As little as $16.97 for 12 months of Harper's—
plus access to our 158-year archive.
Archive > 2008 > Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug

AUGUST 2008

THE WRECKING CREW
How a Gang of Right-Wing Con Men Destroyed Washington and Made a Killing
By Thomas Frank

THE MANDARINS
American Foreign Policy, Brought to You by China
By Ken Silverstein

JACK
A story by Marilynne Robinson

Also: WILLIAM H. GASS on Henry James

Subscribe to the Weekly Review:


We will not sell your email address.