Background
Brodbeck, May was born on July 26, 1917 in Newark. Daughter of Louis and Etta (Bragar). Bachelor of Arts, New York University, 1941.
philosopher university professor
Brodbeck, May was born on July 26, 1917 in Newark. Daughter of Louis and Etta (Bragar). Bachelor of Arts, New York University, 1941.
She studied chemistry at New York University, attending evening courses while working, and earned a bachelor"s degree in 1941. Following the war, she studied philosophy at the University of Iowa, completing a Doctor of Philosophy supervised by Gustav Bergmann in 1947.
Thereafter, she worked as a high-school chemistry teacher, before being recruited into the Manhattan Project. She spent the first portion of her academic career at the University of Minnesota, eventually rising to chair of the philosophy department (1967–1970) and dean of the graduate school (1972–1974). She then returned to the University of Iowa as Carver Professor of Philosophy and Dean of the Faculties.
In her administrative position, among other initiatives she focused in particular on the status of women in the university, and oversaw the creation of one of the first women"s studies programs.
She stepped down from administration in 1981, retired in 1983, and died later that year in California.
MayerofT, Milton (1950) ‘The nature of propositions in John Dewey’s logic: a reply to Miss Brodbeck’, Journal of Philosophy 47: 353-8. Brodbeck’s broad philosophical aim was to delineate the possibility and conditions of a ‘science of man’ in the context of a tension between the scientific ideal and intuitive understanding. Her analysis focuses on the concepts of action, cause, motives, intentions and reasons, and on explanations of human behaviour that draw on theories of interactionism and parallelism. She propounded a thesis of objectivism embodying the view that ‘a complete description and causal explanations of human actions can be given in principle by means of terms that, like those of physical science, have reference only to objectively observable properties of material objects’ (1963). This view, she maintained, did not mean that talk of bodily states could replace talk of mental states. Brodbeck’s objectivism generated lively debate and was criticized by Joseph Margolis, who espoused an interaction of body and mind that did not preclude a ‘science of man’ but which was. he argued, less vulnerable to criticism than Brodbeck’s objectivist account.
Member faculty University of Minnesota, 1947-1974, professor philosophy, 1959-1974, department chairman, 1967-1970, dean graduate school, 1972-1974. Member American Philosophical Association (secretary-treasurer 1955-1957, vice president 1970-1971, president 1971-1972), National Association State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (chairman council academic affairs 1980-1981), Philosophy Science Association, American Association of University Professors.
History of American philosophy.
John Dewey, Rudolf Carnap, Herbert Feigl and Gustav Bergmann.