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Abraham Kaplan
15quotes
Abraham Kaplan
Philosopher and Social Theorist
Full Name and Common Aliases
Abraham Kaplan was an American philosopher and social theorist born as Abram Yitzchak to Jewish immigrant parents from Ukraine. He is commonly known by his surname, "Kaplan."
Birth and Death Dates
Born on November 4, 1914, in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City, Kaplan passed away on March 29, 1997, at the age of 82.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Abraham Kaplan held American nationality throughout his life. As a philosopher and social theorist, he worked as a university professor, researcher, and writer.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in New York City's East Side, Kaplan faced difficulties from an early age due to poverty and illness. His father, a tailor, struggled to provide for the family, forcing young Abram to drop out of school at 14. Despite these hardships, he managed to secure a job as a printer's apprentice while studying at night.
Major Accomplishments
Kaplan achieved significant recognition in his academic career. He earned his undergraduate degree from City College of New York and went on to graduate from Columbia University with a Ph.D. in philosophy. Throughout the 1940s, he taught at various institutions including Brooklyn College and Queens College.
Notable Works or Actions
As a philosopher and social theorist, Kaplan's work focused primarily on ethics, sociology, and anthropology. He published several notable works, including:
"The Conduct of Inquiry: Methodology for Behavioral Science" (1964) - This book is considered a seminal text in the field of behavioral science methodology.
"An Outline of Philosophy" (1970) - A comprehensive overview of philosophical thought, covering topics from metaphysics to ethics.
Impact and Legacy
Kaplan's contributions to philosophy and social theory had far-reaching impacts. His work influenced not only academics but also policymakers and social reformers. He played a significant role in shaping American sociology during the mid-20th century.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Abraham Kaplan is widely quoted for his insightful views on ethics, philosophy, and human behavior. His written works continue to be studied by scholars today. His personal story of overcoming adversity through education serves as an inspiration to many.
Quotes by Abraham Kaplan
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To get at the meaning of a statement the logical positivist asks, What would the world be like if it were true? The operationist asks, What would we have to do to come to believe it? For the pragmatist the question is, What would we do if did believe it?
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Give a small boy a hammer, and he will find that everything he encounters needs pounding. It comes as no particular surprise to discover that a scientist formulates problems in a way which requires for their solution just those techniques in which he himself is especially skilled.
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A problem is something you can do something about. If you can’t do something about it, then it’s not a problem, it’s a predicament. That means it’s something that must be coped with, endured.
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To get at the meaning of a statement the logical positivist asks, "What would the world be like if it were true?" The operationist asks, "What would we have to do to come to believe it?" For the pragmatist the question is, "What would we do if did believe it?"
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Mathematics is not yet capable of coping with the naïveté of the mathematician himself.
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A philosophy which speaks, even indirectly, only to philosophers is no philosophy at all; and I think the same is true if it speaks only to scientists, or only to jurists, or priests, or any other special class.
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The price of training is always a certain trained incapacity: the more we know how to do something, the harder it is to learn to do it differently.
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Every discipline develops standards of professional competence to which its workers are subject... Every scientific community is a society in the small, so to speak, with its own agencies of social control.
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