October 11

Born on October 11, 1675, Samuel Clarke was educated at Cambridge and ordained in the Church of England. He championed Newtonian science in philosophical discourse, applying its principles to moral and theological questions. His major works include Scripture-Doctrine of the Trinity and A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God. Clarke's correspondence with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz sparked debates on free will, substance, and divine providence. His blend of rigorous argument and faith-based inquiry influenced Enlightenment thought in Britain. Clarke died in 1729, leaving a reputation as one of the era's leading intellectuals.

Ernst Mally was an Austrian philosopher and professor at the University of Vienna. He studied under the influence of Franz Brentano and focused on theory of sense and judgments. Mally authored influential works on ontology, exploring the nature of existence and properties. His writings on logic and philosophy contributed to the early development of analytic philosophy. Mally's ideas impacted the Vienna Circle and later philosophical movements. Despite limited recognition during his lifetime, his theories gained posthumous interest. He continued teaching and writing until his death in 1944.

Hans Kelsen was a preeminent legal philosopher and jurist. Born in Prague, he studied law at the University of Vienna and taught across Europe. Kelsen formulated the Pure Theory of Law, separating law from morality and politics. He served on the Permanent Court of International Justice before emigrating to the United States. At the University of California, Berkeley, he influenced generations of legal scholars through his writings. His seminal work 'Reine Rechtslehre' remains foundational in legal philosophy. Kelsen's contributions shaped modern constitutional and international law until his death in 1973.