Susan Stebbing
L. (Lizzie) Susan Stebbing (born December 2, 1885 in North Finchley , Middlesex , † September 11, 1943 in Northwood , Middlesex) was a British philosopher. She belonged to the stream of analytical philosophy of the 1930s and was the founder of the journal Analysis .
Life
Stebbing studied at Girton College , Cambridge and graduated in 1908. From 1913 to 1915 she taught philosophy at King's College London . From 1920 she was employed at Bedford College, University of London and was appointed professor of philosophy in 1933, making her the first woman in the United Kingdom to receive a chair in the field. From 1931 to 1932 she was visiting professor at Columbia University in New York City. From 1931 to 1932 she was president of the Mind Association , from 1933 to 1934 she was president of the Aristotelian Society .
Her best-known work is Thinking to some purpose (1939). The book grew out of a series of radio broadcasts she wrote for the BBC . Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, she wrote: “Nowadays it is imperative that the citizens of a democracy can think well. Freedom of the press and parliamentarism are not enough. Our problems lie partly in our stupidity, and partly in the fact that this stupidity is being exploited. In addition, our own prejudices and personal desires are a reason. Part of our inefficient thinking comes from a strong longing to have a confident opinion on complicated matters. Unfortunately, few true statements about complex problems can be made in a single sentence. We quickly fall into the habit of accepting brief statements, which saves us from the effort to think for ourselves. This creates what I call a limited way of thinking. ”She compared this way of thinking to canned meat, which is practical, possibly even tasty, but which lacks important nutrients. “We shouldn't let our way of thinking close our consciousness and let slogans keep us from the work of thinking. Vitamins are essential for our bodies to grow. The critical questioning of our 'inserted' thinking is indispensable for the development of our ability to think purposefully. "
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/stebbing/#Life accessed on August 28, 2020
- ↑ L. Susan Stebbing; Thinking to some purpose ; Penguin books (Pelican series), Harmondsworth, 1939
Publications
- Pragmatism and French Voluntarism (1914)
- A Modern Introduction to Logic (1930)
- Logical Positivism and Analysis (1933)
- Logic in Practice (1934)
- Imagination and Thinking (1936) with C. Day-Lewis
- Thinking to Some Purpose (1939)
- Philosophy and the Physicists (1937)
- Ideals and Illusions (1941)
- A Modern Elementary Logic (1943)
literature
- Philosophical Studies. Essays in Memory of L. Susan Stebbing (1948)
Web links
- Susan Stebbing , Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy , Michael Beaney
- Oxford University Press
- "Susan Stebbing on Cambridge and Vienna Analysis" - Abstract , by Michael Beaney
- Works by Stebbing , on the Internet Archive
- Logical Constructions , A Modern Introduction to Logic (1931), Harper Torchbooks Press
- Postulational Systems and Principia Mathematica , A Modern Introduction to Logic
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Stebbing, Susan |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | L. (Lizzie) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British philosopher |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 2, 1885 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | North Finchley , Middlesex |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 11, 1943 |
| Place of death | Northwood (London) |