Samuel Alexander
| Samuel Alexander OM |
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|---|---|
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| Born | 6 January 1859 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died |
13 September 1938 (aged 79) Manchester, Lancashire, England |
| Alma mater |
Wesley College, Melbourne University of Melbourne Balliol College, Oxford |
| Era | 20th-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School |
British Idealism (early) Analytic philosophy (late) |
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Main interests
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Metaphysics |
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Notable ideas
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Emergent evolution |
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Influenced
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Samuel Alexander OM (6 January 1859 – 13 September 1938) was an Australian-born British philosopher. He was the first Jewish fellow of an Oxbridge college.
Alexander was born at 436 George Street, in what is now the commercial heart of Sydney, Australia. He was the third son of Samuel Alexander, a prosperous saddler, and Eliza née Sloman. Both parents were Jewish. His father died just before he was born, and Eliza moved to the adjacent colony of Victoria in 1863 or 1864. They went to live at St Kilda, and Alexander was placed at a private school kept by a Mr Atkinson.
In 1871, he was sent to Wesley College, Melbourne, then under the headmastership of Professor Irving, and was always grateful for the efficiency and comprehensiveness of his schooling. He matriculated at the University of Melbourne on 22 March 1875 to do arts. He was placed in the first class in both his first and second years, was awarded the classical and mathematical exhibitions (top of year) in his first year. In his second year, he won the exhibitions in Greek; Latin and English; mathematics and natural philosophy; and natural science.
In May 1877, Alexander left for England in an attempt to win a scholarship, arriving at the end of August. Undecided whether to go to Oxford or Cambridge he chose Oxford and sat for a scholarship at Balliol College. Among the competition were George Curzon and J. W. Mackail. Though his tutor thought little of his chances Alexander achieved second place after Mackail and gained a scholarship.
At Oxford, he obtained a first class in classical and mathematical moderations, a rare achievement, and a first class in Greats, his final examination for the degree of BA, in 1881. Two of his tutors were the philosopher T. H. Green and the Latinist Henry Nettleship, who exercised a great influence on his early work.
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