Collected works

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Bergmann was born in Vienna in 1906 and completed his Ph.D. in mathematics with a minor in philosophy in 1928. He joined the Vienna Circle, influenced by notable figures like Schlick, Waismann, and Carnap. After teaching mathematics in Vienna, he moved to Berlin to assist Einstein, but faced discrimination against Jews, prompting his return to Vienna to study law. Following the Nazi annexation of Austria in 1938, he emigrated to the United States with help from Otto Neurath. In 1939, he became an assistant to psychologist Kurt Lewin at the University of Iowa, where he developed a mathematical representation of Lewin's psychological field theory. By 1940, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy, advancing to full professor by 1950. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Bergmann significantly influenced contemporary philosophy and psychology, mentoring talented students who later became prominent in academia. His group was known as "The Iowa School" or "The Iowa Realists," elevating the status of a midwestern philosophy department. He served as president of the American Philosophical Association (Western Division) from 1967-68 and received the first named professorship in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Iowa in 1972. Bergmann retired in 1974 and passed away in 1987.