BOWEN

bowen, francis (1811-1890), american philosophical writer and educationalist, was born in charlestown, massachusetts, on the 8th of september 1811. he graduated at harvard in 1833, taught for two years at phillips exeter academy, and then from 1835 to 1839 was a tutor and instructor at harvard. after several years of study in europe, he settled in cambridge, massachusetts, and was editor and proprietor of the _north american review_ from 1843 to 1854. in 1850 he was appointed professor of history at harvard; but his appointment was disapproved by the board of overseers on account of reactionary political opinions he had expressed in a controversy with robert carter (1819-1879) concerning the hungarian revolution. in 1853 his appointment as alford professor of natural religion, moral philosophy and civil polity was approved, and he occupied the chair until 1889. in 1876 he was a member of the federal commission appointed to consider currency reform, and wrote (1877) the minority report, in which he opposed the restoration of the double standard and the remonetization of silver. he died in boston, massachusetts, on the 22nd of january 1890. his writings include lives of sir william phipps, baron von steuben, james otis and benjamin lincoln in jared sparks' "library of american biography"; _critical essays on the history and present condition of speculative philosophy_ (1842); _lowell lectures on the application of metaphysical and ethical science to the evidences of religion_ (1849); _the principles of political economy applied to the condition, resources and institutions of the american people_ (1856); _a treatise on logic_ (1864); _american political economy_ (1870); _modern philosophy from descartes to schopenhauer and hartmann_ (1877); and _gleanings from a literary life, 1838-1880_ (1880).