Darian Spearman on Faith as Vital for Life

About This Event

Darian Spearman (Philosophy, Gonzaga) presents a talk, "Faith as Vital for Life: Anna Julia Cooper and William James on Belief."

Born into slavery in 1858, Anna Julia Cooper went on to study mathematics, literature, and history at Oberlin and the Sorbonne, becoming the fourth Black American woman to earn the Ph.D. in 1911. Cooper is recognized for scholarly contributions to the foundations of Black Feminist thought in the United States, but is less known for her work on value and belief. In the essay “The Gain from a Belief” (1892), Cooper argues for the practical benefits of faith in the face of the skepticism and agnosticism she saw as pervasive in nineteenth century positivism and naturalism. The most important of these benefits is that faith grants one the vital power necessary to live a life committed to the actualization of oneself and others. Cooper’s perspective aligns well with the arguments of William James’ “The Will to Believe” (1896) concerning the legitimacy of beliefs motivated by will and passion. This talk will explore the parallels and contrasts between their views to show the value of faith for a committed and vital life.