STEPHEN TOULMIN By Hana Ayele

Stephen Toulmin  Born on March 25, 1922  Attended King’s College 1942: received Bachelors of Art Degree in math and physics King’s College

 During WWII, Toulmin worked at Ministry of Aircraft Production Junior scientific officer At one point, worked in Germany at Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force  After war, returned to England and attended Cambridge

Cambridge  At Cambridge: Master of Arts degree (1947) Doctorate of Philosophy  Meets Ludwig Wittgenstein Austrian philosopher Examined the connection between the uses and the meanings of language Had a great effect on Toulmin’s work Ludwig Wittgenstein

Teaching Career  After graduating from Cambridge, he was appointed University Lecturer in Philosophy of Science at Oxford ( ) Wrote The Philosophy of Science: an Introduction (1953)  Professor of History & Philosophy of Science at Melbourne University, Australia ( )  Professor & Chair of Department of Philosophy at University of Leeds ( ) Publishes The Uses of Argument

The Uses of Argument  Published in 1958  Discussed the problems of traditional logic  Criticized in England as “Toulmin’s anti-logic book”  Well received in U.S. Visits Stanford and Columbia Universities While in America, his work is introduced to many communication scholars

 returns to London as Director of History of Ideas at Nuffield Foundation  returns to America Holds positions at several different universities Continues to teach at universities throughout America and England Including: Columbia, Dartmouth, Michigan State, Northwestern, Stanford, and the University of Chicago

Ideas  Fundamental concern: clarify nature of moral reasoning and the logic that accompanies it  Ethics should attempt to discover good moral arguments  Moral reasoning is inductive Moral philosophers  Absolutism has little practical value  Introduce reason into moral judgements

Contributions  Helped advance the shift from formal, technical logics to more informal, rhetorical logics  His works have helped people better understand the complex natures of human language and rationality

Popular Works  The Uses of Argument  Philosophy of Science  Foresight and Understanding  Discovery of Time – 1965  Wittgenstein’s Vienna  Knowing and Acting  The Abuse of Casuistry: A History of Moral Reasoning  Return to Reason

Quiz  During WWII, in what department did Toulmin work?  What was the name of the Austrian philosopher who had a great influence on Toulmin?  True or False: Toulmin Helped advance a more formal, technical logic?

Answers  During WWII, Toulmin worked at Ministry of Aircraft Production as a junior scientific officer.  Ludwig Wittgenstein had a great influence on Toulmin.  False: Toulming helped advance the shift from formal, technical logics to more informal, rhetorical logics