Irwin Edman (November 28, 1896 – September 4, 1954) was an American philosopher and

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

of philosophy.

Biography

Irwin Edman was born in

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Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

parents. He grew up in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, adjacent to

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, with which he was to be affiliated his entire adult life. Edman spent his high-school years at

Townsend Harris Hall Townsend Harris Hall Prep School was a public preparatory school located in Manhattan in New York City. History The school is named for Townsend Harris, who besides his many diplomatic accomplishments, had helped found the Free Academy of the ...

, a New York high school for superior pupils. He then attended Columbia University, where he graduated

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and earned his bachelor's degree in 1917 and his Ph.D. in 1920. During his student years at Columbia he was a member of the

Boar's Head Society The Boar's Head Society (1910 – 1970s) was a student ''conversazione society'' devoted to poetry at Columbia University. It was an "adjunct to Columbia College's Philolexian Society... The purpose of their new society was entirely creative: ...

. He became a professor of philosophy at Columbia, and during the course of his career he rose to serve as head of the philosophy department. He also served as a visiting lecturer at

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, Amherst College, the

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, and Harvard and

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Universities. In 1945 the

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and the Brazilian government sponsored a series of lectures he gave in

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. Edman was known for the "charm and clarity" of his writing and for being an open-minded critic. He was a popular professor and served as a

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to undergraduate students, notably Pulitzer Prize-winning author

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(Columbia class of 1934), who dedicated his first novel to Edman. He was the brother-in-law of Lester Markel, the longtime Sunday editor of ''The New York Times''. In addition to writing philosophical works, Irwin Edman was a frequent contributor to literary magazines such as ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'', ''

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'' (later renamed ''The Atlantic''), ''

The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. ...

'', ''

Harper's Weekly ''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, ...

'', ''Commentary'', and ''Horizon''. In 1953, Edman was elected vice president of the National Institute of Arts and Letters (later succeeded by the

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...

). Edman published many books on philosophy as well as poetry and some fiction. His books include ''Philosopher’s Holiday'', ''Richard Kane Looks at Life'', ''Four Ways of Philosophy'', ''Philosopher's Quest'', and ''Arts and the Man: An Introduction to Aesthetics''. He died, of a heart attack, on September 4, 1954, in New York.

Bibliography

* Arthur Schopenhauer: The World As Will And Idea * Arts and the man: a short introduction to aesthetics (1939) * Candle in the Dark : A Postscript to Despair (1939) * Don Quixote: The Ingenious Man of La Mancha (Introduction) * Ecclesiastes, with an Essay by Irwin Edman; Odyssey Press, New York, 1946 * Emerson's Essays, First & Second Series Complete in One Volume * Epictetus. Discourses and Enchiridion. Based on the Translation of Thomas... * ''Fountainheads of Freedom: The Growth of the Democratic Idea,'' with Herbert W. Schneider * Human Traits and Their Social Significance * John Dewey: his contribution to the American tradition (as editor) * Landmarks for beginners in philosophy * Machiavelli: The Prince (Introduction and Preface) (1954) * Meditations. Marcus Aurelius and His Times. The Transition from Paganism to Christianity (1945) * Philosopher's Holiday (1938) * Philosopher's Quest (1947) * Poems * The Mind Of Paul (1935) * The Philosophy of Plato. Jowett Translation * The Philosophy of Santayana * The Philosophy of Schopenhauer (1928) * The Uses of Philosophy * The Works of Plato * The World, the Arts and the Artist * Under Whatever Sky (1951)

Poems

*"Brief Introduction to the Problems of Philosophy" ''

'' 25/50 (4 February 1950) : 32

References

External links

* *
A Tribute to Irwin Edman on Columbia University's website
* Edman's introduction to Schopenhauer's main work {{DEFAULTSORT:Edman, Irwin 1896 births 1954 deaths American Jews American philosophy academics Columbia University faculty Columbia College (New York) alumni Wesleyan University faculty Harvard University staff The New Yorker people Townsend Harris High School alumni People from Morningside Heights, Manhattan Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters