Leonard Nelson

Not to be confused with Lennart Nilsson.
Leonard Nelson
Nelson in 1922
Born11 July 1882
Berlin, Brandenburg, Prussia, German Empire
Died29 October 1927 (aged 45)
Göttingen, Germany
NationalityGerman
EducationFranzösisches Gymnasium Berlin
Heidelberg University
Humboldt University of Berlin
University of Göttingen (PhD, 1904; Dr. phil. hab., 1909)
Spouse
Elisabeth Schemmann[1]
​
​
(m. 1907; div. 1912)​
PartnerMinna Specht (since 1915)
Era20th-century philosophy
RegionWestern philosophy
SchoolNeo-Friesian
InstitutionsUniversity of Göttingen
ThesisJakob Friedrich Fries und seine jüngsten Kritiker (1904)
Doctoral advisorJulius Baumann
Notable studentsPaul 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
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox philosopher with unknown parameter "influences"
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox philosopher with unknown parameter "influenced"

Leonard Nelson (/ˈlɛnərd 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.[2]

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.[3] He's also credited with popularizing the Socratic method in his book Die sokratische Methode (The Socratic Method).[4]

  1. ^ Biographie, Deutsche. "Nelson, Leonard - Deutsche Biographie". www.deutsche-biographie.de (in German). Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  2. ^ Grelling, K.; Nelson, L. (1908). "Bemerkungen zu den Paradoxien von Russell und Burali-Forti". Abhandlungen der Fries'schen Schule II. Göttingen. pp. 301–334.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) Also in: Nelson, Leonard (1974). Gesammelte Schriften III. Die kritische Methode in ihrer Bedeutung für die Wissenschaften. Hamburg: Felix Meiner Verlag. pp. 95–127. ISBN 3787302220.
  3. ^ "Fate and work of a Jewish psychiatrist and psychotherapist". www.sgipt.org. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  4. ^ Nelson, Leonard (1931). Die sokratische Methode (PDF). Göttingen.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)