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1936 BCE
Contributions
Hacking's largest contribution to the Philosophy of Science is entity realism. Entities are things with distinct and independent existence. Hacking believes we should believe in entities suggested by scientific theories, but we should be wary of the theories at the same time. He is known for taking philosophical thinking a step further than Thomas Kuhn. He was strongly influenced by Casimir Lewey, his professor at Cambridge University, and considers himself a "Cambridge analytic philosopher". -
Ian MacDougall Hacking Birth
Ian Hacking is a philosopher from Vancouver, British Columbia. He was known for game-changing contributions to the philosophies of science, probability and mathematics, as well as for his widely circulated insights on issues like race and mental health was born on February, 18th 1936 and past away May 2023. -
Education
Ian Hacking earned his undergraduate degree in 1956 at The University of British Columbia. Ian Hacking attended graduate school at Cambridge University. He was taught by the famous philosopher Casimir Lewy. He earned his Ph.D. in 1962. -
Teaching Career
Ian began teaching at Princeton University in 1960. From 1961-1962 he taught at the University of Virginia. He then became a research fellow at Cambridge from 1962-64 After his brief stint at Cambridge, he became an assistant professor, associate professor at the University of British Columbia from 1964-69. His next to last stop was at Stanford from1974-82. Ian became a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto in 1983 and the university professor in 1991. He finally retired in 2011. -
The Emergence of Probability
In 1975 Ian Hacking got his big break. a philosophical study of early ideas about probability, induction, and statistical inference called The Emergence of Probability, was the first time the rise of probability and statistical thinking was examined from a historical point of view. -
The Holberg Prize
The prize was presented by Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette Marit at the Håkon’s Hall. The Canadian philosopher of science thereby became the sixth Holberg laureate. The Holberg Prize Academic Committee describes Mr Hacking as one of the most important philosophers and philosophers of science in our time: -
Short Video Ian Hacking