FISKE, John (originally Edmund Fiske Green), American historian and philosopher: b. Hartford, Conn., 30 March 1842.; d. Glouces ter, Mass., 4 July 1901. In 1855 he assumed the name of his maternal great-grandfather, John Fiske, of Middletown, Conn. In 1863 he was graduated from Harvard, in 1865 from the Har vard Law School, in 1864 was admitted to the Suffolk bar, but never entered legal practice. In 1861 he published, in the National Quarterly Review, a notable critical article ('Mr. Buckle's Fallacies') on Buckle's 'History of Civilization in England.' From 1869 to 1879 he was at Harvard, first as a brilliant university lecturer in philosophy, and from 1872 as assistant libra rian. He lectured again at Harvard from 1895-97. He was also an overseer from 1879 to 1891 and from 1899 to his death. He held honorary degrees from Harvard and from the University of Pennsylvania, and was a member of numerous American and foreign scientific societies. In 1884 he was non-resident pro fessor of American history in Washington Uni versity (Saint Louis, Mo.), where for some years he held annual lecture courses. His reputation as a lecturer was considerable also in Great Britain, where he delivered addresses on Amer ican history in 1879 at University College, Lon don, and in 1880 at the Royal Institution. His earlier recognition, however, was chiefly as a thinker and writer in evolutionary philosophy, in particular as the foremost expounder to Eng lish-speaking students of Herbert Spencer s philosophic system. In this popularization of Spencer, best represented by his 'Outlines of Cosmic Philosophy' (1874), his lucidity won strong approbation from Darwin. From 1879 his attention was turned toward American his tory, largely through researches made by him in American aboriginal life in connection with a projected work on the Aryans. Thenceforth his philosophic studies took subordinate place, though he wrote in this field occasional volumes of much interest, and in his 'Ideal of God' (1885) and 'Origin of Evil' gave ultimate pres entation of his confirmed views on questions of philosophy and religion. In his series of his torical writings, forming broadly a continuous account of events from the earliest discoveries to the beginnings of Federal government, he displayed a marked ability for clear and inter esting narrative, and infused a particular in terest into the adventurous characters and dar ing deeds of the period of exploration. He fails
at times in points of minor accuracy, but in ar rangement, judgment, proportion and dramatic interest he exercised a strong influence on the progress of American historical studies in this country. His style here is not inferior to that of his philosophical treatises. He worked with tremendous energy, and, though dying prema turely, had accomplished an impressive amount of literary labor. Among the titles of his other volumes are 'Myths and Mythmakers' (1872) ; 'The Unseen World' (1876) ;