Abraham Cornelius Benjamin (25 August 1897 – 19 October 1968) was an American philosopher of science who taught at University of Chicago and University of Missouri.
A. C. Benjamin was born in
Grand Rapids, Michigan. He attended the
University of Michigan, graduating with a B.A. in 1920. Continuing there, he studied "the
logical atomism of Bertrand Russell", submitted his thesis on the topic, graduating Ph.D. in 1924.
The
University of Illinois employed him as assistant professor of philosophy from 1925 to 1932. He was awarded a
Guggenheim Fellowship in 1930. Then
University of Chicago employed him similarly until 1945 when he became department chairman in philosophy at
University of Missouri.
While in Chicago he wrote three books, first positing a logical structure to science, then a beginning description of the philosophy of science, and a course on values, methods, and concepts. In 1950 he presented "a history of philosophical systems" for an anthology on philosophy of the sciences. He described
operationalism
In research design, especially in psychology, social sciences, life sciences and physics, operationalization or operationalisation is a process of defining the measurement of a phenomenon which is not directly measurable, though its existence is in ...
in a book in 1955, and a decade later a consideration of sciences related to human values and technology.
Benjamin retired from the department chair in 1956 and from teaching in 1966. He died 19 October 1968 in
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area. It is Missouri's fourth ...
.
Works
* 1936: ''The Logical Structure of Science''
* 1937:
Introduction to the Philosophy of Science' via
Internet Archive
* 1940: ''Methods, Values and Concepts'' course
* 1950: "A History of Philosophical Systems"
* 1955:
Operationism' via
HathiTrust
HathiTrust Digital Library is a large-scale collaborative repository of digital content from research libraries including content digitized via Google Books and the Internet Archive digitization initiatives, as well as content digitized locally ...
* 1965: ''Science, Technology and Human Values''
[Reviews of ''Science, Technology, and Human Values'':
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References
*
Irving Anellis
Irving H. Anellis (1946 to 2013) was a historian of philosophy.
Anellis began his study of philosophy in Boston, Massachusetts at Northeastern University, gaining his B.A. in 1969. He continued in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at Duquesne Universit ...
(2005) "Abraham Cornelius Benjamin" in ''
The Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers
''The Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers'' is a 2005 four-volume biographical reference work edited by John R. Shook, then of Oklahoma State University, published by Thoemmes Continuum. Its consulting editors were Richard T. Hull, Bruce ...
''.
A. Cornelius Benjaminat
PhilPapers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benjamin, Abraham Cornelius
1897 births
1968 deaths
Philosophers of science
University of Michigan alumni
University of Chicago faculty
University of Missouri faculty
Writers from Grand Rapids, Michigan
20th-century American philosophers