A. Betson
(fl. 1751)A. Betson is known only by his sole publication, Miscellaneous Dissertations, Historical, Critical, and Moral, On the Origin and Antiquity of MASQUERADES … (1751). He is described on the ...
A. J. Ayer
(1910–1989)British philosopher, responsible for introducing the principles of logical positivism of the Vienna Circle to British philosophers. He was knighted in 1970.Born in London, Ayer was ...
Aaron Burr
(1756–1836)US Democratic Republican statesman. After losing the presidential election to Jefferson in 1800, Burr was elected Vice-President. He was defeated in the contest for the governorship of New ...
ab esse ad posse valet consequentia
From the fact that something exists, it follows that it is possible.
abacus
An ancient device for performing arithmetic calculations by sliding beads along rods or in grooves. Despite the spread of electronic calculators and computers, the abacus is still widely used in the ...
abandonment
Term used by existentialists to dramatize the sense of loss that comes from realizing that there is no external source of moral authority, such as a God.
‘Abbas Mahmoud al -‘Aqqad
(1889–1964)‘Abbas Mahmoud al- ‘Aqqad was a writer, poet, historian, philosopher, journalist and translator. He was an energetic nationalist and saw himself very much as the conscience of Egypt, then ...
‘Abd al-Rahman Badawi
(1917–2002)‘Abd al-Rahman Badawi was born 4 February 1917 in a village on the out-skirts of Damietta, Egypt. He studied at the University of Cairo, later teaching there and at ...
‘Abd al-Ra'uf al-Singkili
(c.1024–1105 / 1615–93)‘Abd al-Ra'uf al-Singkili was born in 1024 / 1615 in the coastal town of Singkel in west Sumatra, which was subject to the Aceh Sultanate, and died ...
‘Abd al-Razzaq Lahiji
(d. 1072 / 1662)‘Abd al-Razzaq b. Ali b. Husayn Gilani al-Lahiji was one of the major scholars of the late Safavid period. Little is known of his life other ...
