Naturalism and Hamilton Holt

I think the term "American Naturalism" is almost so closely related to the Genius and native American thought that it does not need explanation. Much of Pre-American western thought (Europe and Greece specifically) saw man in a constant struggle to impose his will on nature. Writings ranging from Hobbes' beliefs that the state of nature was that of barbarism and war to the science field's infamous expression that man should put nature upon the rack and have their way with her. Interestingly in many schools of American thought these ideas did not seem to hold. This seems to me a mix between Native American influence and the pure beauty of America. First, we discussed pretty thoroughly the relationship the Native Americans had with nature. While the Westerners were imagining themselves raping the natural world, the Native Americans were finding ways to commune with it, understand it and coexist with. In this way the Native ideologies bridge the gap between western and American thought. The genius reserve (and the nationally famous Cleveland Metroparks that I spend a great deal of time in) is evidence of this. In these settings one drops the classic scientific mode of laboratory research and controlled enviorments. Instead the observer and the observed interact directly, by touching, feeling and smelling first hand. The Native Americans, the Transcendentalists and many pragmatics agree that this is the only way to expierence the beauty of nature. High philosophy and historical determinism aside, it is not hard to see how a group of immigrants from an already much deforested and urbanized continent would be captivated by the beauty of a virgin land like the one they came to. Anyone who can't imagine this needs to take a walk in the Metroparks (in the summer they are even prettier than Florida), and one cannot discount this as a contributing factor to the manor in which Pragmatism advanced.

I would say that the most pragmatic aspect of Hamilton Holt was that he actually did what everyone was philosophizing about. Pragmatism is a philosophy of practicality and application. There was much discussion about what a college should be, and how education should function and even how knowledge is gained in general in the times that Holt became president. Discussions about the philosophy of science were blazing like wildfires and epistemology had gained an important place. But while everyone else talked about these things, Holt set out to create a school that embodied many of these beliefs, like the creation of community, the direct participation of students in education and the rethinking of the classic lecture teaching modes. As a Philosophy and English major, I see these Pragmatic changes that Holt put into effect every day. I would say that the genius reserve is very emblematic of Holt's goals and beliefs. In is a place that breaks down the laboratory, overly sanitized and sterilized approach of classic education and puts students in a place where they get to interact with not only nature and their community directly, but also with each other and their teachers. Walking around with a professor breaks down the pedagogical mode of classic education and creates a space where the two can learn and experience directly. This is why the genious reserve and President Holt will always seem so connected. They both, along with much of American philosophy believe in the teacher and classroom as guides, not as walled of buildings with desks glued to chairs.