-
Born
Carl Gustav Hempel was born January 8, 1905 in the town of Oranienburg, in Brandenburg, Germany. -
University of Berlin
Carl Hempel studied philosophy, physics and mathematics at the Universities of Gottingen and Heidleberg before transitioning to the University of Berlin. There he met and studied with Hans Reichenbach, who would later become part of a group of philosophers known as the ''Berlin Circle" -
The Vienna Circle
In 1929, Carl Hempel attended a first congress that included Rudolph Carnap. He was so impressed by Rudolf that he moved to Vienna, Austria and attended three courses at the University of Vienna in the fall semester, with Moritz Schlick, Rudolf Carnap and Friedrich Waismann. This group of philosophers would later become part of ''the Vienna Circle'' -
Doctorate of Philosophy
In 1934, Carl received his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Berlin with his dissertation about probability theory. He also emigrated to Belgium to flee the rising Nazi influence with the aid of Paul Oppenheim. -
Immigration to the United States
In 1939, Hempel immigrated to the United States. -
Period: to
City College and Queens College, New York
Between 1939 and 1948, Hempel taught in New York at City College (1939-1940) and Queens College (1940-1948) were he was interested in the theory of confirmation and explanation. He published several articles dealing with the subject -
Period: to
Yale University
1948 through 1955 Carl Hempel toaught at Yale University. 1952 his work, Fundamentals of Concept Formation in Empirical Science was published in the International Encyclopedia of Unified Science. -
Period: to
University of Princeton
In 1955, Hempel began teaching at the University of Princeton where his work flourished, influenced professional philosophers and wrote numerous articles. He retired from Princeton in 1973. -
Studies in the Logic of Confirmation, the Raven Paradox
In 1945 Hempel wrote about an argument that would later become his most controversial argument. In his article titled ''Studies in the Logic of COnfirmation'' he evaluated empirical generalization conditions would be confirmed or not by instances or non-instances of its antecedant and consequent. This theory of how scientist go about confirmation of other theories is referred to as the Raven Paradox and points out the problem with inductive reasoning. -
Death
Carl Gustav Hempel died November 9, 1997 in Princeton, New Jersey at the age of 92.
