Gerd Buchdahl
Encyclopedia
Gerd Buchdahl was a German-English philosopher of science, born to German-Jewish parents in Mainz
.
The developing natural sciences were the causal lens through which he viewed and from which he wrote about the consequences on epistemology and the history of metaphysics
. His book Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Science detailed interdependencies of philosophy, on one side, and on the other of practical and theoretical natural sciences. It influenced many scholars in their views about (the history of) science and philosophy.
His book Kant
and the Dynamics of Reason
shed light upon Kant's critical intellectualism
in respect to the then contemporary developments in the sciences, especially for the anglophone world.
He was the first lecturer in history and philosophy of science at the University of Cambridge
. A founding fellow of Darwin College
, he became University Reader in 1966 and Tarner Lecturer at Trinity College
in 1973.
Buchdahl founded the journal Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science. It is known for scientific integrity
and philosophical consistency
.
He was survived by his wife, Nancy, and three sons.
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
.
The developing natural sciences were the causal lens through which he viewed and from which he wrote about the consequences on epistemology and the history of metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
. His book Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Science detailed interdependencies of philosophy, on one side, and on the other of practical and theoretical natural sciences. It influenced many scholars in their views about (the history of) science and philosophy.
His book Kant
KANT
KANT is a computer algebra system for mathematicians interested in algebraic number theory, performing sophisticated computations in algebraic number fields, in global function fields, and in local fields. KASH is the associated command line interface...
and the Dynamics of Reason
Reason
Reason is a term that refers to the capacity human beings have to make sense of things, to establish and verify facts, and to change or justify practices, institutions, and beliefs. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, language, ...
shed light upon Kant's critical intellectualism
Intellectualism
Intellectualism denotes the use and development of the intellect, the practice of being an intellectual, and of holding intellectual pursuits in great regard. Moreover, in philosophy, “intellectualism” occasionally is synonymous with “rationalism”, i.e. knowledge derived mostly from reason and...
in respect to the then contemporary developments in the sciences, especially for the anglophone world.
He was the first lecturer in history and philosophy of science at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. A founding fellow of Darwin College
Darwin College, Cambridge
Darwin College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.Founded in 1964, Darwin was Cambridge University's first graduate-only college, and also the first to admit both men and women. The college is named after the family of one of the university's most famous graduates, Charles Darwin...
, he became University Reader in 1966 and Tarner Lecturer at Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
in 1973.
Buchdahl founded the journal Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science. It is known for scientific integrity
Integrity
Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions...
and philosophical consistency
Consistency
Consistency can refer to:* Consistency , the psychological need to be consistent with prior acts and statements* "Consistency", an 1887 speech by Mark Twain...
.
He was survived by his wife, Nancy, and three sons.
Literature
- Buchdahl, Gerd. Article in: Werner Röder/Herbert A. Strauss (Hrsg.): International Biographical Dictionary of Central European Émigrés 1933–1945 (= Biographisches Handbuch der deutschsprachigen Emigration nach 1933). Vol. 2, Saur, München 1983.
- Nick Jardine: Obituary. Gerd Buchdahl (1914–2001): Founding Editor. In: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science 32, 2001, No. 3, p. 401–405.
- Roger S. Woolhouse: Gerd Buchdahl: Biographical and Bibliographical. In: Roger S. Woolhouse (Hrsg.): Metaphysics and Philosophy of Science in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Essays in Honour of Gerd Buchdahl. Kluwer, Dordrecht 1988, ISBN 90-277-2743-0, p. 1–7.