Sidney Hook

Article summary

Sidney Hook (December 20, 1902 – July 12, 1989) was an American philosopher of pragmatism known for his contributions to the philosophy of history, the philosophy of education, political theory, and ethics. After embracing communism in his youth, Hook was later known for his criticisms of totalitarianism, both fascism and communism. A social democrat, Hook sometimes cooperated with conservatives, particularly in opposing Marxism–Leninism. After World War II, he argued that members of such groups as the Communist Party USA and Leninists like democratic centralists could ethically be barred from holding the offices of public trust because they called for the violent overthrow of democratic governments.

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1902-12-20 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of death: 1989-07-12 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. publication date: 1952 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. publication date: 1952 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1902-12-20". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of death is "1989-07-12". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the publication date is "1952". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the publication date is "1952". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
7. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372117243