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Ernest Nagel is born in Vagujehely, Austria-Hungary on November 16, 1901.
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Nagel and his family emigrated to the United States in 1911 at the age of 10 years old. 8 years later, Nagel earned official U.S. citizenship in 1919.
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Nagel received his bachelor's degree from the College of the City of New York in 1923. He followed that in 1925 by receiving his master's degree from Columbia University. 6 years later, Nagel completed his Ph.D. at Columbia in philosophy. He remained at Columbia University as faculty from completion of his Ph.D. to 1970. Resource:
Suppes, Patrick. Ernest Nagel. National Academy of Sciences, 1994. -
In 1934, Ernest Nagel in partnership with Morris Cohen, published their book An Introduction to Logic and Scientific Method. The book illustrated how logical principles function in the scientific method in natural and social sciences, as well as, in law and history. The book is regarded as one of the most influential to be published about logic and scientific method in history. Resource:
Suppes, Patrick. Ernest Nagel. National Academy of Sciences, 1994. -
Nagel published in 1939 the Principles of the Theory of Probability. In the book, Nagel defends the frequency interpretation of probability. -
With James Newman, Nagel published Godel's Proof in 1958. Godel's incompleteness theorems (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4ndIDcDSGc) consist of two theorems of mathematical logic that are intensely complex. With Godel's Proof, Nagel modified Godel's work to make it easier to understand for those not mathematically inclined. Resource:
Wolchover, Natalie. “How Godel's Proof Works.” Quanta Magazine, 14 July 2020, www.quantamagazine.org/how-godels-incompleteness-theorems-work-20200714/. -
In 1961, Nagel published The Structure of Science: Problems in Logic of Scientific Explanation. The book contained the most in depth analysis and explanation of all his works. In the book he discusses different models of explanation in science. His main focus was that of causality and explanation. The book is considered a foundational item for explaining the logic of scientific explanation. Resource:
Suppes, Patrick. Ernest Nagel. National Academy of Sciences, 1994. -
Nagel retires from teaching at Columbia University.
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Becoming one of just a few philosophers, Nagel is elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1977
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Nagel passed away on September 20, 1985, in New York at the age of 85.