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 Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

. He attended the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, graduating with a B.A. in 1920. Continuing there, he studied "the

logical atomism Logical atomism is a philosophical view that originated in the early 20th century with the development of analytic philosophy. It holds that the world consists of ultimate logical "facts" (or "atoms") that cannot be broken down any further, each ...

of Bertrand Russell", submitted his thesis on the topic, graduating Ph.D. in 1924. The

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

employed him as assistant professor of philosophy from 1925 to 1932. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1930. Then

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

employed him similarly until 1945 when he became department chairman in philosophy at

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

. 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 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 Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1821 as the county seat of Boone County, Missouri, Boone County and had a population of 126,254 as recorded in the 2020 United States census, making it the List of cities in Misso ...

Works

* 1936: ''The Logical Structure of Science'' * 1937:
Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
' via

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* 1940: ''Methods, Values and Concepts'' course * 1950: "A History of Philosophical Systems" * 1955:
Operationism
' via

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* 1965: ''Science, Technology and Human Values''Reviews of ''Science, Technology, and Human Values'': * * * * * *

References

* Irving Anellis (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 Benjamin
at

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Benjamin, Abraham Cornelius 1897 births 1968 deaths American philosophers of science University of Michigan alumni University of Chicago faculty University of Missouri faculty Writers from Grand Rapids, Michigan 20th-century American philosophers