Fiske, John (1842-1901), was an American philosopher and historian who helped promote the theory of evolution. According to this theory, all living things have evolved (developed gradually) from a few common ancestors. Fiske sought to bring the ideas of evolution and religion into harmony. Critics of evolution charged that it conflicted with the belief that God created all living things. Fiske rejected that argument and saw evolution simply as God’s way of doing things. He developed this idea in The Outlines of Cosmic Philosophy (1874).
Fiske also became a popular lecturer and writer on early American history. He applied the theory of evolutionary change to history. In his book The Beginnings of New England (1889), Fiske stressed the European origins of United States institutions. Fiske was born on March 30, 1842, in Hartford, Connecticut. He died on July 4, 1901.
