Max Black is an outstanding philosopher of the 20th century. He has a huge number of works on the philosophy of mathematics, art, language and other sciences. His work greatly influenced the development of the analytical philosophy of the last century.
Biography
Max was born in Azerbaijan in the city of Baku at the beginning of the last century on February 24, 1909. Parents are Jewish by nationality. Father's real surname is Cherny. His name was Lionel. My father was a fairly wealthy man. Mother - Sophia Divinskaya. The couple had 3 sons and a daughter. At that time, the Jews in Azerbaijan suffered from anti-Semitism. This could not but affect Max's family. The parents decide to leave the country and move to Paris, where there was less feud. We did not live there for long. In 1912 he moved to England. Max was only three years old. Childhood was spent in London. He grew up as a very talented boy. Already at an early age, he showed special abilities for music and mathematics. He started playing the violin very early. He played so talentedly and professionally that everyone predicted the fate of a great musician for him. He himself strove for this. I loved to play chess. As a very young boy, he played at the level of a master. He carried his love for chess throughout his life.
After graduating from the first stage of training, Max chooses mathematics and enters the prestigious King's College Cambridge. At that time, the outstanding philosophers of that period E. Moore, L. Wittgenstein, B. Russell and others taught there. It was they who influenced Black, who directed all his talent to seriously engage in the philosophy of mathematics. In 1930, he graduated brilliantly from college with a bachelor's degree. He was awarded a scholarship, thanks to which he entered and studied for a year in Göttingen.
Career
At the University of Göttingen, the future philosopher begins to work on his first book, entitled The Nature of Mathematics. In 1933, his work was published.
After graduating from university, Black returns to London, where he continues his education at the university of his city. Preparing a doctoral dissertation. In 1939 he received his Ph. D. in philosophy.
Max Black, since 1936, was engaged not only in scientific work, but also in teaching. He lectured on mathematics at the Institute of Education. In 1940 he went to work at the University of Illinois at the Faculty of Philosophy. Six years later, at Cornell University in New York, he received the title of professor. Having taken American citizenship, he remains to live in America. In 1977, Max Black retired.
Retired life
Having retired on a well-deserved retirement, the philosopher continues to lecture at American universities. He is also invited to other countries. By that time, he was known all over the world. Professor Black was President of the International Institute of Philosophy from 1981 to 1984. Before him, only one person held this position.
Personal life
After graduating from the University of Göttingen, Max Black married Michala Landsberg. They had two children. He always kept in touch with his brothers and sister. One of the brothers, Misha Black, was a famous British architect and teacher.
The great philosopher died in New York at the age of 79.
