Abstract
What manner of man was Cohen? An examination of his published philosophical writings, his autobiography (completed by his son after his death in 1947), his daughter's Portrait of a Philosopher , his colleagues’ book of memorial essays in his honor, Cornelius F. Delaneys' Study of Naturalistic Philosophy and David A. Hollinger's Morris R. Cohen and the Scientific Ideal , all reveal a many-sided, complex human being. Several judgments based on the evidence supplied above come readily to mind. If a list of accomplishments at the close of his life were to be drawn up, it would appear that he attained much of what he consciously resolved to do, in spite of the fact that his own view of human destiny was one of powerlessness, tragedy, limited human knowledge and vain hopes. Cohen lived to become a sage, a humanitarian, a great teacher and an extraordinarily gifted and influential philosopher of science, civilization and law. He was a sage because he knew the limitations of wisdom and the bitterness and resignation attendant upon a life obedient to the reasoned dictates of wisdom.
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