John Allan Irving | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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John Allan Irving

John Allan Irving, philosopher (b in Blenheim Township, Ont 6 May 1903; d at Toronto 3 Jan 1965). As an instructor in philosophy he was first at Princeton, and then at UBC.

Irving, John Allan

John Allan Irving, philosopher (b in Blenheim Township, Ont 6 May 1903; d at Toronto 3 Jan 1965). As an instructor in philosophy he was first at Princeton, and then at UBC. Later he became head of the dept of philosophy at Victoria College, Toronto, where he helped found the Canadian Philosophical Assn. His book The Social Credit Movement in Alberta (1959) is a definitive work. Irving's pioneering work on the history of philosophy in Canada, Philosophy in Canada: A Symposium (1952), stressed a belief of George BRETT that ideas are best grasped in historical contexts. Irving continued the Canadian tradition of taking philosophy to the public and was well known through his CBC radio programs.