Frederick James Eugene Woodbridge

1867 – 1940

Frederick J. E. Woodbridge (1867-1940) was an early 20th century American philosopher. He was one of the principal figures responsible for the adoption of philosophical realism in the United States. Along with George Santayana and John Dewey, Woodbridge was a founder of the philosophical movement known as American Naturalism. It was largely under Woodbridge's influence that Aristotelian trends of thought were revived in the United States, and his naturalistic interpretation of Aristotle became the classic American interpretation. In addition to the intellectual contributions he made to the American philosophical tradition, Woodbridge also enhanced the philosophical community by founding The Journal of Philosophy. The Woodbridge Lectures, sponsored by Columbia University's Philosophy Department, are named for him.