William Fontaine facts for kids

William Thomas Valerio Fontaine (born December 2, 1909 – died December 29, 1968) was an important American philosopher. He taught at the University of Pennsylvania from 1947 to 1967. He was an African American professor in the Ivy League. Fontaine strongly supported African American rights.

Early Life and Education

Fontaine was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. This was an industrial town near Philadelphia. His father worked in a steel mill.

In 1926, Fontaine started at Lincoln University. This school was about 30 miles from Chester. He wrote poems and essays for the school newspaper. He believed African Americans needed to show "ability, aggressiveness, and cooperation" to succeed. He graduated first in his class in 1930.

For the next six years, Fontaine taught Latin, history, and government at Lincoln. He also studied at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his Master's degree in Philosophy in 1932. He then earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Penn in 1936.

He worked as a professor at Southern University in Louisiana from 1936 to 1942. In 1936, Fontaine married Willabelle Hatton. They had two daughters, Jean and Vivian.

Fontaine returned to Penn in 1943. During World War II, he was drafted into the army. He taught basic education to soldiers who could not read or write. In 1947, Fontaine joined the University of Pennsylvania faculty. He became an Assistant Professor two years later.

His Ideas on Philosophy

Fontaine was influenced by a philosopher named C. L. Stevenson. Stevenson believed in "emotivism." This idea suggests that moral statements are mostly expressions of feelings.

Fontaine called his own ideas "modified ethical relativism." This means he thought that what a group believes is right or wrong could change. This change might happen if the group wanted a different outcome.

For example, during World War I, politicians offered jobs to Black people. They did this not just for equality. They also wanted to avoid losing the war to Germany. Black people might not have cared as much about the war. But they definitely wanted better jobs.

His Political Beliefs

Fontaine grew up in a Democratic household. He was a strong supporter of the New Deal. The New Deal was a series of programs in the 1930s. They aimed to help Americans during the Great Depression.

During the time of Presidents Truman and McCarthy, Fontaine supported Harold Stassen. Stassen was a socially liberal Republican governor. He also served as President of Penn.

Fontaine was very much against Communism. He was even more against it than he was against racism in some Western countries. Because of this, he became a liberal internationalist during the Cold War. He supported Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy. They all worked against Communism. At the same time, he strongly supported the growing Civil Rights Movement.

Views on Civil Rights

Fontaine wrote about his civil rights views in a book. It was called Reflections on Segregation, Desegregation, Power, and Morals. It was published in 1967. He supported racial equality. However, he also argued that the growing Black Power movement had some problems. He felt it was similar to white racism in some ways. He believed it sought special treatment for Black people. He also thought it pushed for white people not to be involved in Black life.

His book was not widely reviewed when it came out. It received more attention 40 years later.

Later Life and Global Interests

In 1949, Fontaine was diagnosed with tuberculosis. This is a serious lung disease. He took medical leave and worked part-time. He returned to his full position at Penn in 1955. He became an assistant professor in 1956. He earned tenure in 1957. This meant he had a permanent teaching position. He became an associate professor in 1963.

Fontaine was interested in African nationalism. This was a time when many African countries were gaining independence from colonial rule. This was called decolonization. He traveled around the world to discuss Pan-Africanism. This is the idea of a unified Africa.

In 1959, he attended an event with Pope John XXIII. The Pope thanked those who promoted Black culture. The next year, Fontaine traveled to Lagos, Nigeria. He celebrated his classmate, Nnamdi Azikiwe, becoming Governor General of Nigeria. Two years later, he attended a conference on socialism. This conference was called by Senegalese President Léopold Sédar Senghor.

His tuberculosis got worse. Fontaine finished his book Reflections in 1967. He then went on medical leave for good. He died on December 29, 1968.

His Legacy

To honor William T.V. Fontaine, the University of Pennsylvania started the Fontaine Fellowships in 1970. These fellowships help students from underrepresented minority groups. They provide extra money for these students to study for their doctoral degrees.

See also

• American philosophy
• List of American philosophers