Harry Broudy 1905–98

Harry Broudy was born in Poland to a well-to-do Jewish family, the oldest of four, and started his education in the traditional Cheder. He emigrated with his family to Massachusetts in 1912, and entered American school without knowledge of any English. He received his BA in German Literature and Philosophy from Boston University, and his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Harvard, focusing on Kirkegaard, Bergson and William James. Knowledge contributes to enlightenment, but the knowledge that enlightens cherishing includes both scientific knowledge and value knowledge. Knowledge for enlightened cherishing is sometimes called wisdom, which combines knowledge of human nature with clear-headedness about what can and cannot be accomplished. Broudy came to education largely because of the anti-Semitism in American universities during times which did not promote Jews for faculty in Ivy leagues. Broudy was concerned with the implications of democracy for education, specifically what knowledge belongs in secondary schools' curriculum as they opened to the entire population.