David Prall

David Wight Prall (1886–1940) was a philosopher of art. Born on 5 October 1886 in Saginaw, Michigan, Prall received his PhD in philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1918.

Prall was Professor of Philosophy at Harvard University (1920-21; 1930-40). He taught also at Cornell (1910-12), the University of Texas (1912-14), Amherst (1918-19), and the University of California (1921-30). While at Harvard, Prall was a teacher and mentor to the notable composer and conductor, Leonard Bernstein.

Prall died on 21 October 1940 in Cambridge. MA. His papers are held at Mills College, Oakland, California.

Publications

• "Concerning the Nature of Philosophy". Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods. 15 (5): 127–130. 1918. doi:10.2307/2940377.
• "The Esthetic Heresy". Journal of Philosophy. 18 (19): 516–526. 1921. doi:10.2307/2939310.
• "In Defense of a Worthless Theory of Value". Journal of Philosophy. 20 (5): 128–137. 1923. doi:10.2307/2939368.
• "Value and Thought-Process". Journal of Philosophy. 21 (5): 117–125. 1924. doi:10.2307/2014348.
• "Essences and Universals". Journal of Philosophy. 22 (10): 264–272. 1925. doi:10.2307/2015099.
• Aesthetic Judgment. Thomas Y. Crowell. 1929.
• "A Case of the Pathetic Fallacy". Journal of Philosophy. 30 (5): 113–119. 1933. doi:10.2307/2016795.
• Aesthetic Analysis. Thomas Y. Crowell. 1936.
• "Knowledge as Aptness of the Body". Philosophical Review. 47 (2): 128–154. 1938. doi:10.2307/2180852.

References

• Barry Seldes, Leonard Bernstein: The Political Life of an American Musician
• Prall, David Wight (1886–1940), in The Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers, Edited by John R. Shook (Continuum, 2005).