John Fiske (1842-1901), born Edmund Fisk Green, was an American philosopher and historian, born at Hartford, Connecticut. He graduated from Harvard College in 1863 and at the Harvard Law School in 1865. He practiced as a lawyer for a brief interval, before dedicating himself to popularisation and philosophical interpretation of Darwin's work and producing many books and essays on this subject. In books such as Outlines of Cosmic Philosophy, Fiske aimed to show that "in reality there has never been any conflict between religion and science, nor is any reconciliation called for where harmony has always existed. " Fiske was a popular lecturer on these topics in his early career. Later he turned to historical writings, publishing books such as The Discovery of America (1892). Amongst his other works are: Myths and Myth-Makers (1873), The Unseen World (1876), The Destiny of Man, Viewed in the Light of His Origin (1884), American Political Ideas Viewed from the Standpoint of Universal History (1885), The Beginnings of New England (1889), Civil Government in the United States Considered with Some Reference to its Origins (1890), The Meaning of Infancy (1909), and The War of Independence.