EDMAN, IRWIN

EDMAN, IRWIN (1896–1954), U.S. philosopher. He was born in New York, earned his Ph.D. at Columbia in 1920, and taught there until his death. He was appointed full professor in 1935. Edman wrote poetry, essays, and philosophical works. He was greatly influenced by John Dewey and American naturalism, while drawn to the philosophical classics. He once called himself "an empiricist homesick for Platonism." Edman was interested in aesthetics, social and political philosophy, and the philosophy of religion. He published many works, including Human Traits and Their Social Significance (1920); The Mind of Paul (1935), on St. Paul's religious outlook; Philosopher's Holiday (1938), a popular presentation of philosophical anecdotes from his own life; Arts and the Man (1939); and Philosopher's Quest (1947). Edman also edited English editions of Plato, Boethius, Schopenhauer, and Santayana. An anthology of his writings, The Uses of Philosophy, was published in 1955. (Richard H. Popkin)