November 09

Siger of Brabant (c. 1240–1284) was a prominent scholar at the University of Paris who embraced Latin Averroism. He emphasized the harmony of reason and faith, provoking debate over Aristotle’s teachings and the nature of the soul. His controversial views on intellect and immortality led to charges of heresy and ecclesiastical summons. Though his writings survive only in fragments, his thought influenced the development of scholastic philosophy. Siger’s advocacy for rigorous logical analysis paved the way for later thinkers in medieval Europe.

Born in 1905, Carl Gustav Hempel was a leading figure in the logical positivist movement and a member of the Vienna and Berlin Circles. He is best known for formulating the deductive-nomological model of scientific explanation, also called the 'covering law' model. Hempel taught at prestigious institutions, including Princeton University and Yale University, shaping generations of philosophers. His writings, such as 'Philosophy of Natural Science' and 'Aspects of Scientific Explanation', have had a lasting impact on analytic philosophy. He continued his scholarly work throughout his life, contributing to debates on confirmation theory and the nature of scientific laws until his death in 1997.