Peter Caws
Encyclopedia
Peter J. Caws is a British
American
philosopher and administrator
, and University Professor of Philosophy
and Professor of Human Sciences at the George Washington University
.
at the University of London
in 1952, his PGCE in 1953. In 1953 he emigrated to the US and received his Ph.D. in Philosophy
at Yale University
in 1956.
Caws started teaching natural science
at Michigan State University
in 1956. In 1957 he went to the University of Kansas
to teach philosophy, and he chaired the Philosophy Department from 1961 until 1962. From 1962 to 1967 he was an officer and then consultant at Carnegie Corporation of New York. From 1965 to 1982 he worked at the City University of New York, first as chair of the Hunter College Philosophy Department and from 1967 until 1970 as executive officer of the Ph.D. Program in Philosophy at the Graduate Center. Since 1982 he has been University Professor of Philosophy and is currently also Professor of Human Sciences at the George Washington University
. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Costa Rica
, New York University
and the University of Maryland, College Park
.
In 1966-67 he was president of the Society for General Systems Research
, now the International Society for Systems Science. In 1967 he was vice-president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
. From 1974 to 1984 he was board member and chair of the Committee on International Cooperation of the American Philosophical Association
. In 1988-89 he was president of the Washington Philosophy Club and from 1992 to 1994 he was president of the Société Américaine de Philosophie de Langue Française.
Caws was awarded a Fulbright travel grant in 1953, a fellowship of the American Council of Learned Societies
in 1972 and a Humanities Fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation in 1979-80. He was a National Lecturer at the Society of the Sigma Xi in 1975-77 and a Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar in 1983-84. He gave the first Philip Morris Distinguished Lectures in Business and Society, Baruch College, New York, 1986. He was elected an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha of the District of Columbia in 1992.
Peter Caws was first married to Mary Ann Caws
, an American author, art historian and literary critic. They had a daughter, Hilary Caws-Elwitt, and a son, Matthew Caws
, lead singer of the band Nada Surf
. In 1987 he married Dr. Nancy Breslin, a psychiatrist and now a photographer, and they had a daughter, Elisabeth.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
philosopher and administrator
Academic administration
An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...
, and University Professor of Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and Professor of Human Sciences at the George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
.
Biography
Peter Caws was born in Southall, Middlesex, England in 1931. He received his B.Sc. in PhysicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
in 1952, his PGCE in 1953. In 1953 he emigrated to the US and received his Ph.D. in Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1956.
Caws started teaching natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
in 1956. In 1957 he went to the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
to teach philosophy, and he chaired the Philosophy Department from 1961 until 1962. From 1962 to 1967 he was an officer and then consultant at Carnegie Corporation of New York. From 1965 to 1982 he worked at the City University of New York, first as chair of the Hunter College Philosophy Department and from 1967 until 1970 as executive officer of the Ph.D. Program in Philosophy at the Graduate Center. Since 1982 he has been University Professor of Philosophy and is currently also Professor of Human Sciences at the George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Costa Rica
University of Costa Rica
The University of Costa Rica is a public university in the Republic of Costa Rica, in Central America. Its main campus, Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, is located in San Pedro, in the province of San José. It is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious institution of higher learning in...
, New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
.
In 1966-67 he was president of the Society for General Systems Research
Society for General Systems Research
The Society for General Systems Research is predecessor of the current International Society for the Systems Sciences , known to be one the first interdisciplinary and international co-operations in the field of systems theory and systems science...
, now the International Society for Systems Science. In 1967 he was vice-president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
. From 1974 to 1984 he was board member and chair of the Committee on International Cooperation of the American Philosophical Association
American Philosophical Association
The American Philosophical Association is the main professional organization for philosophers in the United States. Founded in 1900, its mission is to promote the exchange of ideas among philosophers, to encourage creative and scholarly activity in philosophy, to facilitate the professional work...
. In 1988-89 he was president of the Washington Philosophy Club and from 1992 to 1994 he was president of the Société Américaine de Philosophie de Langue Française.
Caws was awarded a Fulbright travel grant in 1953, a fellowship of the American Council of Learned Societies
American Council of Learned Societies
The American Council of Learned Societies , founded in 1919, is a private nonprofit federation of seventy scholarly organizations.ACLS is best known as a funder of humanities research through fellowships and grants awards. ACLS Fellowships are designed to permit scholars holding the Ph.D...
in 1972 and a Humanities Fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation in 1979-80. He was a National Lecturer at the Society of the Sigma Xi in 1975-77 and a Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar in 1983-84. He gave the first Philip Morris Distinguished Lectures in Business and Society, Baruch College, New York, 1986. He was elected an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha of the District of Columbia in 1992.
Peter Caws was first married to Mary Ann Caws
Mary Ann Caws
Mary Ann Caws is an American author, art historian and literary critic.She is currently a Distinguished Professor of English, French and Comparative Literature at the Graduate School of the City University of New York. She is an expert on Surrealism and modern English and French literature,...
, an American author, art historian and literary critic. They had a daughter, Hilary Caws-Elwitt, and a son, Matthew Caws
Matthew Caws
Matthew Caws is the lead singer of the band Nada Surf. His parents are Peter Caws and Mary Ann Caws.- Biography :...
, lead singer of the band Nada Surf
Nada Surf
Nada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca .-Early years:...
. In 1987 he married Dr. Nancy Breslin, a psychiatrist and now a photographer, and they had a daughter, Elisabeth.
Publications
Peter Caws has written and edited ten books and more than 150 articles. Books:- 1965, The Philosophy of Science, A Systematic Account. Princeton: Van Nostrand.
- 1967, Science and the Theory of Value. New York: Random House.
- 1979, Sartre: The Arguments of the Philosophers. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
- 1980, Two Centuries of Philosophy in America. (Editor) Oxford: Blackwell.
- 1988, Structuralism: The Art of the Intelligible. Atlantic Highlands, N.J.: Humanities Press.
- 1989, The Causes of Quarrel: Essays on Peace, War, and Thomas Hobbes. (editor) Boston: Beacon Press.
- 1993, Yorick's World: Science and the Knowing Subject. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
- 1993, The Capital Connection: Business, Science, and Government. New York: Baruch College.
- 1996, Ethics from Experience. Boston: Jones and Bartlett.
- 2007, Reason and Hope: Knowledge, Belief and the Future of Humanity. Washington, D.C.: River Horse Press.
- 2010, Religious Upbringing and the Costs of Freedom. (Edited with Stefani Jones) University Park, PA: Penn State University Press.
External links
- Webpage at Gwu.edu.
- Peter Caws's personal website contains several of his full length papers.
- "The Unconscious is Structured Like a City" article by Peter Caws, 2001.
- "First and second order unification in the social and human sciences" article by Peter Caws, 2005.
- "Belief and morals among the Taylorites: A personal reflection", article by Peter Caws.
- "Structuralism" article by Peter Caws in The Dictionary of the History of Ideas.