Laurence Jonathan Cohen
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Cohen FBA (7 May 1923 – 26 September 2006) was a British
philosopher
. He was Fellow and Praelector in Philosophy, 1957–90 and Senior Tutor, 1985–90 at The Queen's College, Oxford
and British Academy Reader in Humanities, University of Oxford
, 1982–84.
Education: St. Paul's School, London; Balliol College, Oxford
.
Initially a political philosopher, he published The Principles of World Citizenship in 1954. He then pursued the question "What do you mean by...?"”, in The Diversity of Meaning (1962). This involved linguistic philosophy and sociology.
His best-known book, The Probable and the Provable (1977), argued in favour of inductive reasoning
when making up your mind, for instance, when on a jury. The human ability to bring in all the relevant factors when arguing from known specifics to a general conclusion—the essence of inductive reasoning—was in his view far too complex to express in a logical equation. But their methods of reasoning could still be held up to inspection and, to some extent, classified.
In clinical and scientific work, he was also concerned with the nature of proof. Another book, Belief and Acceptance (1992), examined the bases of people’s assumptions. In all, Jonathan Cohen believed in the fundamental validity of human reasoning, even if it could never attain absolute perfection.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
philosopher
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He was Fellow and Praelector in Philosophy, 1957–90 and Senior Tutor, 1985–90 at The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
and British Academy Reader in Humanities, University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, 1982–84.
Education: St. Paul's School, London; Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
.
Career
- World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
: in Naval Intelligence in UK and SEAC, 1942–45, and Lieut (Sp.) RNVR - Assistant in Logic and Metaphysics, Edinburgh University, 1947–50
- Lecturer in Philosophy, St. Andrew's UniversitySt. Andrew's University, also known as St Andrew's University, is a private, coeducational university located in Izumi, Osaka, Japan.- Faculties :The university has faculties in International studies, Liberal Arts, Sociology, Economics, Business and Administration, of Law...
, 1950–57 - Commonwealth Fund Fellow in Logic at PrincetonPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and HarvardHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, 1952–53 - Visiting Lecturer, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 1952
- Visiting Professor: Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, 1967; Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, 1972; Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, 1988 - Visiting Fellow, Australian National UniversityAustralian National UniversityThe Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, 1980. - Fellow, The Queen's College, OxfordThe Queen's College, OxfordThe Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
1957-1990 - Senior Tutor, The Queen's College, OxfordThe Queen's College, OxfordThe Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
1985-1990
Work
The principal emphasis in his work was on the powers and use of reasoning and how reasoning should be used properly on professional assessment of evidence in legal and scientific trials.Initially a political philosopher, he published The Principles of World Citizenship in 1954. He then pursued the question "What do you mean by...?"”, in The Diversity of Meaning (1962). This involved linguistic philosophy and sociology.
His best-known book, The Probable and the Provable (1977), argued in favour of inductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning, also known as induction or inductive logic, is a kind of reasoning that constructs or evaluates propositions that are abstractions of observations. It is commonly construed as a form of reasoning that makes generalizations based on individual instances...
when making up your mind, for instance, when on a jury. The human ability to bring in all the relevant factors when arguing from known specifics to a general conclusion—the essence of inductive reasoning—was in his view far too complex to express in a logical equation. But their methods of reasoning could still be held up to inspection and, to some extent, classified.
In clinical and scientific work, he was also concerned with the nature of proof. Another book, Belief and Acceptance (1992), examined the bases of people’s assumptions. In all, Jonathan Cohen believed in the fundamental validity of human reasoning, even if it could never attain absolute perfection.
Honours
- He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1973
- President, B'nai B'rithB'nai B'rithB'nai B'rith International |Covenant]]" is the oldest continually operating Jewish service organization in the world. It was initially founded as the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith in New York City, on , 1843, by Henry Jones and 11 others....
Oxford Lodge, 1974 - British Academy Philosophical Lecturer, 1975
- Fry Lecturer, Bristol University, 1976
- Austin Lecturer, UK Association for Legal and Social Philosophy, 1982
- Secretary, International Union of History and Philosophy of Science (Division of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science), 1975–83, Pres., 1987–91
- President, British Society for Philosophy of Science, 1977–79
- Chairman, British National Committee for Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, 1987–91
- Chairman, Section K (Philosophy), British Academy, 1994–96
- General Editor, Clarendon Library of Logic and Philosophy, 1973–2006
Publications
- The Principles of World Citizenship, 1954
- The Diversity of Meaning, 1962
- The Implications of Induction, 1970
- The Probable and the Provable, 1977
- Applications of Inductive Logic, 1980 (Joint editor)
- Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, 1982 (Joint editor)
- The Dialogue of Reason, 1986
- An Introduction to the Philosophy of Induction and Probability, 1989
- An Essay on Belief and Acceptance, 1992
- Knowledge and Language, 2002