Nicholas Murray Butler was an American educator, a diplomat, and a philosopher. His book entitled Philosophy is the print edition of a lecture he delivered at Columbia University in a series on science, philosophy, and art. When he initially gave the lecture, Butler was the President of Columbia University and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The original purpose of the lecture was to present a concise view of several sciences and a view of philosophy as practiced during Butler's career.Butler's long history as a philosopher easily established the credentials necessary for such a lecture. His words illuminate philosophy, outline the concepts, its method, and its true purpose in society. This lecture came at a time when new ideas of philosophy were taking main stage and Butler sincerely hoped that his words on the topic would drive people away from the "unfitting scientific garments in which some contemporary writers have sought to clothe philosophy" and instead toward a more classical understanding of this lost art.While Philosophy emphasizes just one aspect of this great man's life, it's worth considering that after completing this lecture, Butler would go on to become the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International peace, and a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize--arguably making his thoughts on any subject worthy of interest. He was a complicated man, but also a man of action. His thoughts and beliefs shaped a generation of philosophers. Butler's deep interest in philosophy flows on each page making this book an intriguing read for individuals interested in philosophy and the life of this inspiring man.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.