Royce's Voyage Down Under

Josiah Royce's voyage to the South Seas in 1888, undertaken on his physician's advice, restored the philosopher to full physical and mental vigor. What is not so well known is that after a few months of sailing Royce began to "bag new game," as he put it, in his philosophical pursuits. Frank M. Oppenheim examines Royce's writings from this year of travel, including his correspondence and the notes he made on his reading, and finds there the seeds of much of his later thought.

While Professor Oppenheim is careful not to overstate the importance of this year of travel in the development of Royce's philosophy, he shows without question that the period was fruitful both intellectually and psychologically. His thoughtful analysis gives us a fuller appreciation of the philosopher and the man.