Leonard Nelson
Leonard Nelson | |
|---|---|
Nelson in 1922 | |
| Born | 11 July 1882 |
| Died | 29 October 1927 (aged 45) |
| Spouse |
Elisabeth Schemmann
(m. 1907; div. 1912) |
| Partner | Minna Specht (since 1915) |
| Education | |
| Education | Französisches Gymnasium Berlin Heidelberg University Humboldt University of Berlin University of Göttingen (PhD, 1904; Dr. phil. hab., 1909) |
| Thesis | Jakob Friedrich Fries und seine jüngsten Kritiker (1904) |
| Doctoral advisor | Julius Baumann |
| Philosophical work | |
| Era | 20th-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Neo-Kantianism (Neo-Friesian) |
| Institutions | University of Göttingen |
| Notable students | Paul Bernays, Gustav Heckmann, Gerhard Weisser, Fritz Eberhard, Alfred Kubel, Willi Eichler |
| Main interests | Critical philosophy, philosophy of science, logic |
| Notable ideas | Grelling–Nelson paradox, revival of the Socratic method |
Leonard Nelson (/ˈnɛlsən/; German: [ˈnɛlzɔn]; 11 July 1882 – 29 October 1927), sometimes spelt Leonhard, was a German mathematician, critical philosopher, and socialist. He was part of the neo-Friesian school (named after post-Kantian philosopher Jakob Friedrich Fries) of neo-Kantianism and a friend of the mathematician David Hilbert. He devised the Grelling–Nelson paradox in 1908 and the related idea of autological words with Kurt Grelling.
Nelson subsequently became influential in both philosophy and mathematics, as his close contacts with scientists and mathematicians influenced their ideas. Despite dying earlier than many of his friends and assistants, his ISK organization lived on after his death, even after being banned by the Nazi Regime in 1933. It is even claimed that Albert Einstein supported it. He's also credited with popularizing the Socratic method in his book Die sokratische Methode (The Socratic Method).