Summary Information
Arthur J. Benson Papers
ASP.1999.02
Benson, Arthur J.
Bulk, 1935-1994
1904-1994
2.7 linear feet (7 document boxes)
Language: English
Abstract: Arthur J. Benson, an associate professor at California State University at Los Angeles, was a student and later friend and colleague of Rudolf Carnap. This collection holds some papers of his student and professional years, as well as manuscripts and correspondence relating to Rudolf Carnap’s life and work.
ULS Special Collections Department
University of Pittsburgh Library System
Hillman Library, Room 363
3960 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA, 15260
412-648-8190
uls-specialcollections@mail.pitt.edu
February 2009
Finding aid prepared by Brigitta Arden.
Biography
Arthur J. Benson, an associate professor of philosophy at California State University at Los Angeles from 1962 to 1992, was first a student and later colleague and friend of Rudolf Carnap. For this reason, he received and maintained material related to Carnap’s research and writing. Benson also compiled a well-known, complete bibliography of Carnap’s works for the Schilpp volume on Carnap.
During his student years at UCLA, Columbia, and Harvard, Benson was taught by many recognized names in the field of philosophy and philosophy of science. Items from Benson’s student and professional years as well as documents related to Rudolf Carnap were selected and bequeathed to the Archives of Scientific Philosophy after Benson’s death.
Collection Scope and Content Notes
The collection contains some of Benson's student notes of classes and seminars attended at University of California at Los Angeles, Columbia, and Harvard, as well as some of his term papers submitted during this time, and later professional papers. Several of the student papers include comments by his teachers, many of whom are renowned individuals in the field of philosophy of science, such as Ernest Nagel, Bertrand Russell, C.I. Lewis, and Rudolf Carnap. Various drafts of Benson's often referred to complete bibliography of Carnap’s works are among Benson’s professional papers.
The second part of the collection consists of material relating to Rudolf Carnap, such as correspondence between Carnap and Benson, notes and manuscript drafts authored by Carnap, and material related to Carnap's publications, such as translations and posthumous publication work by Benson. Included are also undated black and white photographic prints of Rudolf Carnap in class, probably taken during his time at UCLA, and audio recordings of German radio broadcasts in honor of Carnap's 100th birthday, as well as of speeches from the Carnap memorial gathering in 1971.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into two series as outlined below. The original order of the material was preserved, such as the topical arrangement of Benson’s student papers.
Series I. Material relating to Arthur J. Benson
Series II. Material relating to Rudolf Carnap
Subject Terms
- Science -- Philosophy -- History -- 20th century
- University of California, Los Angeles. -- Faculty
- Benson, Arthur J.
- Carnap, Rudolf, 1891-1970
- Feigl, Herbert
- Sellars, Wilfrid
- Correspondence
- Lecture notes
- Manuscripts for publication
Access and Use
No restrictions.
Gift of Manetta R. Benson on June 2, 1999.
This collection was processed by Brigitta Arden in February 2009.
The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.
Rudolf Carnap Papers, ASP.1974.01, Archives of Scientific Philosophy, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh.
Collection Inventory
Series I. Material relating to Arthur J. Benson, 1938-1953
|
Scope and Content Notes: This series contains Benson’s handwritten and typed notes of classes and seminars attended as a student at California University, Columbia, and Harvard. Some of his term papers submitted during this time, as well as later professional papers, are included. Several of the student papers include comments by his teachers, many of whom are renowned individuals in the field of philosophy of science, such as Ernest Nagel, Bertrand Russell, C.I. Lewis, and Rudolf Carnap.
The series is divided into three subseries: Class notes, Student papers, and Professional papers.
|
Subseries 1. Class Notes, 1938-1947
|
Scope and Content Notes: Benson organized the class notes into four volumes, in non-chronological order. This original order has been preserved.
|
Box 1
| Folder |
1 |
Vol. 1: Introduction to Philosophy, Loewenberg, University of California, 1946-1947
|
|
| Folder |
2 |
Vol. 1: Methodology, Montague, Columbia, 1938-1939
|
|
| Folder |
3 |
Vol. 1: Metaphysics, Hocking, Harvard, 1940
|
|
| Folder |
4 |
Vol. 1: Semantics, Russell, Harvard, 1940
|
|
| Folder |
5 |
Vol. 1: Analytic Philosophy, Carnap, Harvard, 1940
|
|
| Folder |
6 |
Vol. 1: Empiricism, Carnap, Harvard, 1941
|
|
| Folder |
7 |
Vol. 1: Naturalism, Dennes, University of California, 1946
|
|
| Folder |
8 |
Vol. 1: Logic, Nagel, Columbia, 1938-1939
|
|
| Folder |
9 |
Vol. 2: Logic, Marhenke, University of California, 1947
|
|
| Folder |
10 |
Vol. 2: Philosophy of Science, Nagel, Columbia, 1939-1940
|
|
| Folder |
11 |
Vol. 2: Philosophy of Science, Hungerland, University of California, 1947
|
|
| Folder |
12 |
Vol. 2: Philosophy of Science, Marhenke, University of California, 1947
|
|
| Folder |
13 |
Vol. 2: Survey of General Psychology, Brown, Harvard University, 1941
|
|
| Folder |
14 |
Vol. 2: General History of Philosophy, Randall, Jr., Columbia, 1938-1939
|
|
| Folder |
15 |
Vol. 2: Theory of Value, Perry, Harvard, 1940
|
|
| Folder |
16 |
Vol. 2: Social Philosophy and Ethical Theory, Schneider, Columbia, 1939
|
|
| Folder |
17 |
Vol. 3: Ethical Theory, Ross, Columbia, 1939
|
|
| Folder |
18 |
Vol. 3: Philosophy of Art/Criticism, Columbia, 1938-1939
|
|
| Folder |
19 |
Vol. 3: The Nature and Theory of History, Randall, Jr., Columbia, 1940
|
|
| Folder |
20 |
Vol. 4: Plato, Wild, Harvard, 1940
|
|
| Folder |
21 |
Vol. 4: Public Lectures on Aristotle, Ross, Columbia, 1939
|
|
| Folder |
22 |
Vol. 4: Aristotle, Randall, Jr., Columbia, 1939
|
|
| Folder |
23 |
Vol. 4: Aristotle, Hungerland, University of California, 1946
|
|
| Folder |
24 |
Vol. 4: Hume, Williams, Harvard, 1941
|
|
| Folder |
25 |
Vol. 4: Hume, Dennes, University of California, 1947
|
|
| Folder |
26 |
Vol. 4: Kant, Lewis, Harvard, 1940
|
|
| Folder |
27 |
Vol. 4: German Philosophy from Kant to Nietzsche, Seward, Columbia, 1940
|
|
Subseries 2. Student Papers, 1941-1953
|
Scope and Content Notes: This subseries mostly comprises Benson’s student papers written during his time at California University, Columbia, and Harvard, and a few other items related to this time period. Included are also “Fybate” lecture notes, apparently written by Benson. Fybate was a student-founded business near the Berkeley campus that supplied typed lecture notes, usually compiled by paid graduate students, to students who were unwilling or unable to take their own notes.
The original, chronological order of the material is preserved.
|
Box 2
| Folder |
1 |
"Some Criticisms of an 'Inquiry into Meaning & Truth', Comments by Russell and Carnap, 1941
|
|
| Folder |
2 |
“Ethics and Logical Positivism,” Comments by Carnap and Perry, 1941
|
|
| Folder |
3 |
“Prolegomenon to an Empirical Ethic,” comments by Lewis, 1941
|
|
| Folder |
4 |
“Prolegomenon to an Empirical Ethic,” Paper submitted for Bowen Prize, 1941
|
|
| Folder |
5 |
“The Philosophy of Psychology,” Comments by Brown, 1941
|
|
| Folder |
6 |
“Some Remarks on Empirical Knowledge,” 1946
|
|
| Folder |
7 |
“Categories, Language and Naturalism, Comments by Dennes, 1947
|
|
| Folder |
8 |
“Summary of Lenzen’s ‘Procedures of Empirical Science’,” 1946-1947
|
|
| Folder |
9 |
“The Argument of Aristotle’s ‘Posterior Analytics’,” Comments by Hungerland, 1947
|
|
| Folder |
10 |
“Philip Wylie’s ‘An Essay on Morals’,” Comments by Hungerland, 1947
|
|
| Folder |
11 |
“Fybate Lecture Notes for Philosophy 10A," 1947-1948
|
|
| Folder |
12 |
Erich Lehmann: “Notes for Use in Course Mathematics 12,” 1948
|
|
| Folder |
13 |
“Place of Art in a World of Change,” Magazine-Clipping from Arts and Architecture, October 1948
|
|
| Folder |
14 |
“The 1945-46 Symposium on Probability,” 1947-1948
|
|
| Folder |
15 |
“Carnap’s Use of ‘True’ in
Meaning and Necessity, 1948
|
|
Subseries 3. Professional Papers, 1949-1953
|
Scope and Content Notes: The original, chronological order of the material was preserved.
|
| Folder |
16 |
“Carnap Bibliography,” 1949
|
|
| Folder |
17 |
Untitled Note on a Point in Meaning and Necessity addressed to Mates, 1948
|
|
| Folder |
18 |
American Philosophical Association Meeting, Program and Abstracts, 1949
|
|
| Folder |
19 |
Untitled Note on a Point in von Wright, 1949-1950
|
|
| Folder |
20 |
Suggestion for a Name of Philosophy Club, 1950
|
|
| Folder |
21 |
Translation from German to English of Tarski’s “The Concept of a True Sentence in Everyday Language,” 1950
|
|
| Folder |
22 |
“Carnap Bibliography,” 1953
|
|
| Folder |
23 |
“Comments on Rynin’s
The Logic and Semantics of Argument, 1953
|
|
| Folder |
24 |
Inserts found in Books of Benson's Library
|
|
Series II. Material relating to Rudolf Carnap, 1904-1994
|
Scope and Content Notes: This series comprises different types of documents which are all authored by or related to Rudolf Carnap. Included are correspondence between Carnap and Benson pertaining primarily to the Schilpp volume,
The Philosophy of Rudolf Carnap; lecture notes and manuscript drafts authored by Carnap; fragmentary, typed lists with handwritten additions in Carnap’s hand of his research, publications, lectures, and teaching activities; typed discussion notes between Carnap and Wilfrid Sellars; lecture notes by Herbert Feigl; foreign language publications of Carnap’s writings; corrections and additions by Benson sent to Martin Gardner for a revised edition of Carnap’s
An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science; black and white photographic prints of Rudolf Carnap in class; and a few audio recordings of the Carnap memorial gathering in 1971 and commemorative German radio broadcasts of 1991. Some correspondence and notes concern Carnap’s donations of books and other material to UCLA’s research library and philosophy department. The original, chronological and topical order of the material is preserved.
|
Box 3
| Folder |
1 |
Shorthand Manuals Stolze-Schrey, 1904-1906
|
|
| Folder |
2 |
Excerpts of Carnap’s Published Writings, Copies and Originals, 1921-1950
|
|
| Folder |
3 |
“On the Logic of Measurement” by Ernest Nagel, Copy of Article, 1930
|
|
| Folder |
4 |
Carnap Notes: Wissenschaftliche Vorträge im Ausland, 1935
|
|
| Folder |
5 |
Reviews by A.J. Ayer of Carnap’s
Logical Syntax and by Amethe von Zeppelin of
Symbolic Logic and the Philosophy of Science, 1937
|
|
| Folder |
6 |
Foreign Language Publications of Carnap’s Writings, Journal and Book Excerpts, 1938-1956
|
|
| Folder |
7 |
Foreign Language Publications of Carnap’s Writings, Journal and Book Excerpts, 1968-1977
|
|
| Folder |
8 |
An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth by Bertrand Russell: Annotated Galleys, 1940
|
|
| Folder |
9 |
Carnap Notes: Who Knows – and What, 1948-1952
|
|
Box 4
| Folder |
1 |
Benson-Carnap Correspondence and Notes, 1953-1970
|
|
| Folder |
2 |
Remarks on Physicalism and Related Topics: Discussions between Carnap and Wilfrid Sellars, Typescript, 1954
|
|
| Folder |
3 |
Lecture Notes by Herbert Feigl: “Some Major Issues and Developments in the Philosophy of Science of Logical Empiricism,” 1954
|
|
| Folder |
4 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture I, 1958
|
|
| Folder |
5 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture II, 1958
|
|
| Folder |
6 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture III, 1958
|
|
| Folder |
7 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture IV, 1958
|
|
| Folder |
8 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture V, 1958
|
|
| Folder |
9 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture VI, 1958
|
|
| Folder |
10 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture VII, 1958
|
|
| Folder |
11 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture VIII, 1958
|
|
| Folder |
12 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture IX, 1958
|
|
| Folder |
13 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture X, 1958
|
|
Box 5
| Folder |
1 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture XI, 1958
|
|
| Folder |
2 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture XII, 1958
|
|
| Folder |
3 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture XIII, 1958
|
|
| Folder |
4 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture XIV, 1959
|
|
| Folder |
5 |
Seminar Lecture Notes “Foundations of Physics,” Lecture XV, 1959
|
|
| Folder |
6 |
“An Axiom System of Inductive Logic,” First Version, First Part, 1959
|
|
| Folder |
7 |
“An Axiom System of Inductive Logic,” First Version, Third Part, 1961
|
|
| Folder |
8 |
“An Axiom System of Inductive Logic,” First Version, Fourth Part, 1963
|
|
| Folder |
9 |
“An Axiom System of Inductive Logic,” First Version, Fifth (and Last) Part, 1964-1965
|
|
| Folder |
10 |
Books for UCLA, 1962-1969
|
|
| Folder |
11 |
Carnap’s Remarks on Gardner Book, 1963
|
|
| Folder |
12 |
Notes relating to Carnap Bibliography by Benson, 1965-1966
|
|
| Folder |
13 |
Notes and Correspondence relating to Publications of Carnap’s Writings, 1967-1971
|
|
| Folder |
14 |
“Basic System of Inductive Logic,” Chapter 4: Pure and Applied Inductive Logic, 1969
|
|
| Folder |
15 |
“Basic System of Inductive Logic,” Chapter 12: Representative Functions for C, undated
|
|
| Folder |
16 |
“Basic System of Inductive Logic,” Chapter 13: The Principle of Instantial Relevance, undated
|
|
Box 6
| Folder |
1 |
“Basic System of Inductive Logic,” Chapter 14: The Attribute Space, undated
|
|
| Folder |
2 |
“Basic System of Inductive Logic,” Chapter 15: Basic Regions and Admissible Regions in the Attribute Space, undated
|
|
| Folder |
3 |
“Basic System of Inductive Logic,” Chapter 16: The Analogy Influence, undated
|
|
| Folder |
4 |
“Basic System of Inductive Logic,” Chapter 17: The Eta Function, undated
|
|
| Folder |
5 |
“Basic System of Inductive Logic,” Chapter 18: Some Special Kinds of Families, undated
|
|
| Folder |
6 |
“Inductive Logic and Rational Decisions,” 1969
|
|
| Folder |
7 |
Carnap Memorial Meeting: Lists of Guests, Correspondence, Expenses, 1971
|
|
| Folder |
8 |
“Carnap’s Empiricism” by Richard Jeffrey and Letter to Hanna Thost, 1973
|
|
| Folder |
9 |
An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science of Science: Corrections and Additions by Benson to Martin Gardner, 1994
|
|
| Folder |
10 |
Photographic Prints: Rudolf Carnap in Class, undated
|
|
Box 7
| Folder |
1 |
Audio Cassette with Recording of German Radio Broadcast in Honor of Carnap’s 100th Birthday by Gregor Schiemann, 1991
|
|
| Folder |
2 |
Audio Cassette with Recording of German Radio Broadcast in Honor of Carnap’s 100th Birthday by Willy Hochkeppel, 1991
|
|
| Folder |
3 |
Audio Tape with Recording of Speeches from the Carnap Memorial Gathering, Part 1, undated
|
|
| Folder |
4 |
Audio Tape with Recording of Speeches from the Carnap Memorial Gathering, Part 2, undated
|
|
| Folder |
5 |
Audio Tape with Recording of Carnap’s Voice, mostly from Seminars, 1958-1961
|
|
| Folder |
6 |
Audio Tape with Recording of Carnap Seminar [?] on Fiske and Peirce & James, 1966
|
|
| Folder |
7 |
Audio Tape with Recording of Carnap Seminar [?] on Peirce and Fiske, 1966
|
|
|
