Summary Information
- Prepared by
- Joseph-James Ahern
- Preparation date
- June 2012
- Date [bulk]
- Bulk, 1889-1955
- Date [inclusive]
- 1875-1995
- Extent
- 5.25 Cubic feet
PROVENANCE
The Edgar Arthur Singer, Jr. Papers were acquired in two accessions. The first in November 1988 from his son, Richard B. Singer (1988:07); with the second arriving as part of the Richard B. Singer Papers in May 2011 (2011:25).
ARRANGEMENT
The Edgar Arthur Singer, Jr. Papers are arranged alphabetically.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Edgar Arthur Singer, Jr. was born on November 13, 1873 in Philadelphia, PA to Edgar Arthur Singer, Associate Superintendent of Schools in the Philadelphia Public School, and Sarah Elizabeth Phillips. Edgar grew up in the Frankford neighborhood of the city, and attended the Manual Training High School graduating in 1889. Singer attended the University of Pennsylvania where he obtained his B.S. in Engineering in 1892 and his Ph.D. in Philosophy in 1894. Following graduation he received a postgraduate fellowship to study under William James at Harvard University.
In 1896 Singer returned to the University of Pennsylvania to accept the position of Senior Fellow in the Philosophy Department. Singer’s academic career was interrupted briefly when he served as a sergeant in the First Volunteer Regiment of Engineers during the Spanish-American War. He would remain at Penn for his entire career, rising from Instructor in Philosophy in 1898 to the Adam Seybert Professor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy in 1929, and eventually Emeritus Professor in 1944. Singer’s main emphasis was the theory of evidence, and the methods by which it related to a problem; something he termed empirical idealism. Throughout his career he was a noted lecturer, and authored numerous works on philosophy. He was a member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Philosophical Association. His last work was Experience and Reflections, which was edited by his former student C. West Churchman and published posthumously.
Singer married Helen Bunker on July 5, 1905. Together they had two children, Edgar Arthur III who was born in 1908, and Richard Bunker Singer who was born in 1914. The family resided in West Philadelphia on Chester Avenue – a short walk from the University. Helen Singer passed away in 1953, and Edgar Arthur Singer, Jr. died on April 13, 1955.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The Edgar Arthur Singer, Jr. Papers documents the career and life of University of Pennsylvania Professor of Philosophy Edgar Arthur Singer, Jr. The collection consists primarily of lecture materials, addresses, and copies of publications – particularly material on his final work Experience and Reflection. There are also documents related to Singer’s personal life and education.
Controlled Access Headings
- Genre(s)
- Lecture notes.
- Personal Name(s)
- James, William, 1842-1910
- Subject(s)
- Education–Pennsylvania–Philadelphia.
Inventory
|
General file |
Box |
Folder |
|
|
Ackoff, Russel L. 1946 1948 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Acton Foundation, n.d. |
1 |
2 |
|
|
Address to Class Entering Fine-Arts, n.d. |
1 |
3 |
|
|
Address to the Art Alliance, Philadelphia, n.d. |
1 |
4 |
|
|
Addresses 1898-1900 |
1 |
5 |
|
|
Addresses 1900-1903 |
1 |
6 |
|
|
Addresses – Untitled, n.d. |
1 |
7 |
|
|
Addresses to Hebrew Students’ League 1900 |
1 |
8 |
|
|
Afterthoughts On the Contented Life 1940 |
1 |
9 |
|
|
American Philosophical Society 1927-1930 |
1 |
10 |
|
|
Baptismal Certificate 1885 |
1 |
11 |
|
|
Bass, Robert 1946 |
1 |
12 |
|
|
Beal, Fred W., n.d. |
1 |
13 |
|
|
Beyond Mechanism and Vitalism 1934-1935 |
1 |
14 |
|
|
Biser, Irwin, “A General Schema for Natural Systems” 1938 |
1 |
15 |
|
|
Bolero, Rita 1929 |
1 |
16 |
|
|
Bookreview: Richtie, A. D., “Scientific Method: An Inquiry into the Character and Validity of Natural Laws” 1923 |
1 |
17 |
|
|
Bound Pamphlets of Interest 1887-1897 |
1 |
18 |
|
|
Burkart, Anna D., n.d. |
1 |
19 |
|
|
Bush, W. T., n.d. |
1 |
20 |
|
|
Butler, Nicholas Murray 1925 |
1 |
21 |
|
|
Cena Delle Ceneri , dual. 1., n.d. |
1 |
22 |
|
|
Central Manual Training School Photographs 1889-1948 |
1 |
23 |
|
|
Central Manual Training School Reunion Correspondence 1948 |
1 |
24 |
|
|
Central Manual Training School Reunion Memorabilia 1890 1948 |
1 |
25 |
|
|
Churchman, C. West 1948 |
1 |
26 |
|
|
Churchman, C. West and Russel L. Ackoff 1949 |
1 |
27 |
|
|
College Thesis, “Mathematics of Skew Arches” 1892 |
1 |
28 |
|
|
Concerning Introspection: A Reply 1925 |
1 |
29 |
|
|
Concerning One of Mr. Russell’s Paradoxes, n.d. |
1 |
30 |
|
|
Concerning the Artist’s Career, n.d. |
1 |
31 |
|
|
Concerning the Development of Faculty Personnel Appendix A 1932 |
1 |
32 |
|
|
Concerning the Development of Faculty Personnel Report, n.d. |
1 |
33 |
|
|
Confessio Philosophi, n.d. |
1 |
34 |
|
|
Content of Education, Considered Historically – manuscript, n.d. |
1 |
35 |
|
|
Correspondence 1930 |
1 |
36 |
|
|
Correspondence Unidentified 1924-1940 |
1 |
37 |
|
|
Course Material on Logic (1), n.d. |
1 |
38 |
|
|
Course Material on Logic (2), n.d. |
1 |
39 |
|
|
Course Material on Logic (3), n.d. |
1 |
40 |
|
|
Cowan, Thomas A. 1951 |
1 |
41 |
|
|
Danner, Edwin R. 1949 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
Death 1955-1973 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
Death of the Western World, n.d. |
2 |
3 |
|
|
Development of Science – Lectures to Juniors, University of Pennsylvania (1) 1900-1901 |
2 |
4 |
|
|
Development of Science – Lectures to Juniors, University of Pennsylvania (2) 1900-1901 |
2 |
5 |
|
|
Development of Science – Lectures to Juniors, University of Pennsylvania (3) 1900-1901 |
2 |
6 |
|
|
Doolittle, Eric 1908 |
2 |
7 |
|
|
Drawing – Island of Lipari Italy 1931 |
2 |
8 |
|
|
Edwards, Anne C. F. 1928 |
2 |
9 |
|
|
Empiricism of William James, n.d. |
2 |
10 |
|
|
Esthetic and the Rational Ideal (Abridged) 1932 |
2 |
11 |
|
|
Experience and Reflection |
|||
|
Chapters 6 – 10 Tentative Revisions, n.d. |
2 |
12 |
|
|
Chapter 8, n.d. |
2 |
13 |
|
|
Chapters 8 – 10, n.d. |
2 |
14 |
|
|
Chapter 12, n.d. |
2 |
15 |
|
|
Chapter 14, n.d. |
2 |
16 |
|
|
Chapters 19 – 21, n.d. |
2 |
17 |
|
|
Chapters 22 – 24, n.d. |
2 |
18 |
|
|
Chapter Fragments, n.d. |
2 |
19 |
|
|
Earlier Studies, n.d. |
2 |
20 |
|
|
Early Drafts and Fragments (1), n.d. |
2 |
21 |
|
|
Early Drafts and Fragments (2), n.d. |
2 |
22 |
|
|
Early Drafts and Fragments (3), n.d. |
2 |
23 |
|
|
Early Drafts and Fragments (4), n.d. |
2 |
24 |
|
|
Early Drafts and Fragments (5), n.d. |
2 |
25 |
|
|
Early Drafts and Fragments (6), n.d. |
2 |
26 |
|
|
Later Studies, n.d. |
2 |
27 |
|
|
Miscellaneous Copies and Fragments, n.d. |
2 |
28 |
|
|
Miscellaneous Fragments 1955 |
2 |
29 |
|
|
Part II The Mechanical Ideal, n.d. |
2 |
30 |
|
|
Part III Final Copies 1954 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
Part III Teleology Original Version, n.d. |
3 |
2 |
|
|
Part IV Life, n.d. |
3 |
3 |
|
|
Part V Consciousness, n.d. |
3 |
4 |
|
|
Part VI Truth and Error, n.d. |
3 |
5 |
|
|
Publication 1954-1995 |
3 |
6 |
|
|
Fernberger, Samuel W. 1921 |
3 |
7 |
|
|
Finch, Henry, n.d. |
3 |
8 |
|
|
Fool’s Advice / Mastery and Service, n.d. |
3 |
9 |
|
|
Frankford Library Stock 1877 |
3 |
10 |
|
|
Franklin J. Matchette Foundation 1946 |
3 |
11 |
|
|
Genealogical Information 1921 |
3 |
12 |
|
|
George Stuart Fullerton 1925-1929 |
3 |
13 |
|
|
George Vth 1918 |
3 |
14 |
|
|
German Idealism Lectures, “Historic Chapters” 1896-1898 |
3 |
15 |
|
|
Giordano Bruno 1914-1915 |
3 |
16 |
|
|
Graduate School Papers – Harvard University 1894 |
3 |
17 |
|
|
Great Case Proved 1945 |
3 |
18 |
|
|
Henry Holt and Company 1923-1936 |
3 |
19 |
|
|
History of Foundations of Geometry 1900 |
3 |
20 |
|
|
Introduction to a Study of Contemporary Italian Fiction, n.d. |
3 |
21 |
|
|
Invitations 1891-1928 |
3 |
22 |
|
|
Isolation or Cooperation 1946 |
3 |
23 |
|
|
James, William 1896 |
3 |
24 |
|
|
John Locke 1933 |
3 |
25 |
|
|
Kallen, H. M., “Freedom and the Artist”, n.d. |
3 |
26 |
|
|
Kelly, Maude M. 1928-1929 |
3 |
27 |
|
|
King of Paris, n.d. |
3 |
28 |
|
|
Les Deux Sources de la Morale et de la Religion 1932 |
3 |
29 |
|
|
Lienau, C. C. 1950 |
3 |
30 |
|
|
Lincoln, George William 1912 |
3 |
31 |
|
|
Logic and the Relation of Life to Mechanism 1925 |
3 |
32 |
|
|
Logic and the Relations of Function to Mechanism 1930 |
3 |
33 |
|
|
Logico-Historical Study of Mechanism, Vitalism, Naturalism 1940 |
3 |
34 |
|
|
Longwell, Horace Craig, “Theory of Mind of Roger Bacon” annotated, n.d. |
3 |
35 |
|
|
Lovejoy, Arthur O. 1924-1925 |
3 |
36 |
|
|
Manual Training School 1893 |
3 |
37 |
|
|
Manuscripts Untitled, n.d. |
3 |
38 |
|
|
Mechanism, Vitalism, Naturalism: A Logico-Historical Study 1946 |
3 |
39 |
|
|
Minas, J. Sayer 1948 |
3 |
40 |
|
|
Miscellaneous 1880-1944 |
3 |
41 |
|
|
Miscellaneous Notes and Quotations (1) 1913-1924 |
3 |
42 |
|
|
Miscellaneous Notes and Quotations (2) 1913-1924 |
3 |
43 |
|
|
Miscellaneous Notes on Various Subjects, n.d. |
3 |
44 |
|
|
Modern Thinkers and Present Problems, n.d. |
3 |
45 |
|
|
Monasticism of Mr. Knox 1915 |
3 |
46 |
|
|
Moore, R. L. 1913 |
3 |
47 |
|
|
Newbold Memorial Meeting Address 1927 |
4 |
1 |
|
|
Newbold, William Romaine translation of Poemander, n.d. |
4 |
2 |
|
|
Newbold, William Romaine, “Prolegomenna to a Theory of Belief” annotated 1891 |
4 |
3 |
|
|
Note on Bruno, n.d. |
4 |
4 |
|
|
Notes on Individual Philosophers (1), n.d. |
4 |
5 |
|
|
Notes on Individual Philosophers (2), n.d. |
4 |
6 |
|
|
Notes on Individual Philosophers (3), n.d. |
4 |
7 |
|
|
Notes on Math Course, Theory of Functions 1896 |
4 |
8 |
|
|
Of College Spirit and Other Spirits, n.d. |
4 |
9 |
|
|
On a Definition of Consciousness 1928 |
4 |
10 |
|
|
On a Possible Science of Religion 1929-1931 |
4 |
11 |
|
|
On Consciousness, n.d. |
4 |
12 |
|
|
On Sensibility 1917 |
4 |
13 |
|
|
On Spontaneity – Manuscript, n.d. |
4 |
14 |
|
|
On the Contented Life 1933-1934 |
4 |
15 |
|
|
On the Contented Life: A Footnote 1937-1939 |
4 |
16 |
|
|
On the Power of Art – Address to Alumni Graduate School, Universitiy of Pennsylvania 1944 |
4 |
17 |
|
|
Papers – Foolscap, n.d. |
4 |
18 |
|
|
Papers Read 1902 |
4 |
19 |
|
|
Papers, “Concerning Patriotism” and Seven Others, n.d. |
4 |
20 |
|
|
Passport 1930 |
4 |
21 |
|
|
Pennsylvania – Department of Health 1930 |
4 |
22 |
|
|
Ph.D. thesis, “On the Composite Nature of Consciousness” 1894 |
4 |
23 |
|
|
Philadelphia – Bureau of Surveys 1892 |
4 |
24 |
|
|
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin 1928 |
4 |
25 |
|
|
Philosophy of Experiment 1929-1930 |
4 |
26 |
|
|
Philosophy of Science -Projected Work in Five Parts (1) 1898 |
4 |
27 |
|
|
Philosophy of Science -Projected Work in Five Parts (2) 1898 |
4 |
28 |
|
|
Photographs (1) 1875-1941 |
4 |
29 |
|
|
Photographs (2) 1875-1941 |
4 |
30 |
|
|
Pi Mu Epsilon 1926 |
4 |
31 |
|
|
Postgraduate Papers – Harvard University 1894-1895 |
5 |
1 |
|
|
Progress 1919-1920 |
5 |
2 |
|
|
Projected Articles, Essays, and Lectures, n.d. |
5 |
3 |
|
|
Reference Cards (1), n.d. |
5 |
4 |
|
|
Reference Cards (2), n.d. |
5 |
5 |
|
|
Reference Cards (3), n.d. |
5 |
6 |
|
|
Reference Cards (4), n.d. |
5 |
7 |
|
|
Reference Cards (5), n.d. |
5 |
8 |
|
|
Reference Cards (6), n.d. |
5 |
9 |
|
|
Reflections of a Curriculum Committeeman, n.d. |
5 |
10 |
|
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Reprints 1898-1915 |
5 |
11 |
|
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Reprints 1917-1925 |
5 |
12 |
|
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Reprints 1926-1932 |
5 |
13 |
|
|
Reprints 1933-1946 |
5 |
14 |
|
|
Reviews of Singer’s Books (1) 1924-1949 |
5 |
15 |
|
|
Reviews of Singer’s Books (2) 1924-1949 |
5 |
16 |
|
|
Safford, F. H. 1909 |
5 |
17 |
|
|
School Papers Manual Training High School, Philadelphia, pre 1889 |
5 |
18 |
|
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Second Lecture on Progress – Fragment, n.d. |
5 |
19 |
|
|
Sensation and the Datum of Science 1898 |
5 |
20 |
|
|
Singer, Edgar Arthur and Sarah Elizabeth Singer Correspondence 1889 |
5 |
21 |
|
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Singer, Helen 1937-1938 |
5 |
22 |
|
|
Singer, Sarah Elizabeth 1889 |
5 |
23 |
|
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Singer, Walter T. Manuscripts 1900-1920 |
5 |
24 |
|
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Songs of Pennsylvania 1912 |
5 |
25 |
|
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Strength of Gentle Lives 1940 |
5 |
26 |
|
|
Swanson, Harvey 1939 |
5 |
27 |
|
|
Synopsis Philosophy 5 University of Pennsylvania 1935-1940 |
5 |
28 |
|
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Thoughts on a Translation of Schelling’s Weltalter: a Review Article 1943 |
5 |
29 |
|
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Three Independent Variables in Morals, n.d. |
5 |
30 |
|
|
To The Forum, in Response to Request for Contribution to a “Symposium” 1930 |
5 |
31 |
|
|
U. S. Army Travel Orders 1898 |
5 |
32 |
|
|
University Club Library 1935 |
5 |
33 |
|
|
University of Pennsylvania |
|||
|
1889-1944 |
5 |
34 |
|
|
Medal 1940 |
5 |
35 |
|
|
Papers 1889-1892 |
5 |
36 |
|
|
Record 1892 |
6 |
1 |
|
|
Speeches 1891-1892 |
6 |
2 |
|
|
Untitled Incomplete Work on Logic, n.d. |
6 |
3 |
|
|
Virgil and Three Magicians 1930 |
6 |
4 |
|
|
William James: What Makes a Life Significant, n.d. |
6 |
5 |
|
|
Wright, Joan 1952 |
6 |
6 |
|
|
Writings on Logic, Professor Singer’s Syllabus, untitled 12-page fragment, n.d. |
6 |
7 |
|