Stephen Francis Barker
Encyclopedia
Stephen Francis Barker is an American philosopher of mathematics
, a professor emeritus of philosophy at Johns Hopkins University
and a former faculty member at the University of Virginia
and Ohio State University
.
Barker did his undergraduate studies at Swarthmore College
and earned a doctorate from Harvard University
in 1954. While at Harvard, he won the Bechtel Prize in 1951 for his essay, "A Study of Phenomenalism". He joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1964.
Barker's wife, Evelyn A. Barker, was also a philosopher.
In addition, he edited John Wisdom
's Proof and explanation: the Virginia lectures (University Press of America, 1991), co-edited The Legacy of logical positivism; studies in the philosophy of science with Peter Achinstein
(Johns Hopkins Press, 1969),
Philosophy of mathematics
The philosophy of mathematics is the branch of philosophy that studies the philosophical assumptions, foundations, and implications of mathematics. The aim of the philosophy of mathematics is to provide an account of the nature and methodology of mathematics and to understand the place of...
, a professor emeritus of philosophy at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
and a former faculty member at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
and Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
.
Barker did his undergraduate studies at Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
and earned a doctorate from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard 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...
in 1954. While at Harvard, he won the Bechtel Prize in 1951 for his essay, "A Study of Phenomenalism". He joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1964.
Barker's wife, Evelyn A. Barker, was also a philosopher.
Books
Barker is the author of:- Induction and hypothesis: a study of the logic of confirmation (Cornell University Press, 1957). This study of theories of informal reasoning is structured in four parts: an investigation of the problem of inductionProblem of inductionThe problem of induction is the philosophical question of whether inductive reasoning leads to knowledge. That is, what is the justification for either:...
, a rejection of explanations based on overriding premises (such as the uniformity of nature) as a form of begging the questionBegging the questionBegging the question is a type of logical fallacy in which the proposition to be proven is assumed implicitly or explicitly in the premise....
, an overview of positivistLogical positivismLogical positivism is a philosophy that combines empiricism—the idea that observational evidence is indispensable for knowledge—with a version of rationalism incorporating mathematical and logico-linguistic constructs and deductions of epistemology.It may be considered as a type of analytic...
approaches to the problem, and finally a resolution to the problem based on theories of John George KemenyJohn George KemenyJohn George Kemeny was a Hungarian American mathematician, computer scientist, and educator best known for co-developing the BASIC programming language in 1964 with Thomas E. Kurtz. Kemeny served as the 13th President of Dartmouth College from 1970 to 1981 and pioneered the use of computers in...
involving the selection of the most likely hypothesis to fit a set of observations. - Philosophy of mathematics (Prentice-Hall, 1964). Part of a series of books (edited by Elizabeth and Monroe BeardsleyMonroe BeardsleyMonroe Curtis Beardsley was an American philosopher of art. He was born and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and educated at Yale University , where he received the John Addison Porter Prize...
) overviewing the main areas of philosophy, this book describes the main problems in the philosophy of mathematicsPhilosophy of mathematicsThe philosophy of mathematics is the branch of philosophy that studies the philosophical assumptions, foundations, and implications of mathematics. The aim of the philosophy of mathematics is to provide an account of the nature and methodology of mathematics and to understand the place of...
and evaluates their proposed solutions. Its five chapters concern EuclideanEuclidean geometryEuclidean geometry is a mathematical system attributed to the Alexandrian Greek mathematician Euclid, which he described in his textbook on geometry: the Elements. Euclid's method consists in assuming a small set of intuitively appealing axioms, and deducing many other propositions from these...
and non-Euclidean geometryNon-Euclidean geometryNon-Euclidean geometry is the term used to refer to two specific geometries which are, loosely speaking, obtained by negating the Euclidean parallel postulate, namely hyperbolic and elliptic geometry. This is one term which, for historical reasons, has a meaning in mathematics which is much...
, and literalist and non-literalist views on the meaning of numbers. - The elements of logic (McGraw Hill, 1965)
- Thomas Reid critical interpretations (with Tom L. Beauchamp, Philosophical monographs, 1976)
In addition, he edited John Wisdom
John Wisdom
Arthur John Terence Dibben Wisdom was a leading British philosopher considered to be an ordinary language philosopher, a philosopher of mind and a metaphysician. He was influenced by G.E...
's Proof and explanation: the Virginia lectures (University Press of America, 1991), co-edited The Legacy of logical positivism; studies in the philosophy of science with Peter Achinstein
Peter Achinstein
Peter Achinstein is a distinguished American Philosopher of Science. He is the author of numerous influential books and articles. He is the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein University Professor of Philosophy at Yeshiva University, director of the Yeshiva Center for History and Philosophy of Science,...
(Johns Hopkins Press, 1969),