-
Overview
Ernest Nagel was an American philosopher of science. He is considered an iconic logical thinker and has a number of popular books within the community. Nagel was an Atheist, a public intellectual, and has two sons. -
Born
Ernest Nagel was born November 16, 1919 in Nové Mesto nad Váhom, which is now in Slovakia. -
Coming to America
Nagel emigrated to the united states with his family when he was ten years old, and officially became a United States citizen in 1919. -
Period: to
Education
Ernest Nagel earned a BSc from the City College of New York. He later earned a PhD from Colombia University in 1931. -
His First Book
Following earning his PhD in 1931, Nagel wrote his first book in 1934, titled An Introduction to Logic and Scientific Method. The book heavily details the place of logical principles in the scientific method, law, social and natural sciences, and history. -
Logic Without Metaphysics
Nagel wrote and published his book, titled "Logic Without Metaphysics", in which he defended a natural interpretation of logic, and also brought mathematics into the mix. He argued that mathematical principles must be understood in spefic situations, rather than just accepting the existence of those principles. -
The Structure of Science
In 1961, Ernest Nagel published "The Structure of Science", which is arguable his most popular piece of literature. In the book, Nagel goes into heavy detail regarding the nature and all angles of science. He writes about the logical organization of science as a whole, and was praised by a lot of renowned philosophers and historians. -
Period: to
Teachings
Nagel continued to teach at Columbia with the exception of 1966-1967, where he taught at Rockefeller University. He retired from Columbia University in 1970. -
Death
Ernest Nagel died on September 20, 1985 in New York. He is survived by his two sons, both of which followed in their father's footsteps and are professors also.