Dr. Dagobert Runes, founder and editor-in-chief of the Philosophical Library, died last Friday after a long illness. He was 80 years old. Runes was world renowned for his philosophical contributions, the author of 24 books and editor or numerous works, including those of Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell, Jean Paul Sartre and John Dewey.
Born in Zastavna, Austria-Hungary, Runes immigrated to the United States in 1926 after receiving his Ph.D from the University of Vienna in 1924. He served as the director of the Institute for Advanced Education in New York City from 1931-34; as editor of The Modern Thinker (1923-26); and Current Digest (1936-40).
Among his major works are the Dictionary of Philosophy, which he edited; the Spinoza Dictionary, which he collaborated on with Einstein; On the Nature of Man; and the Pictorial History of Philosophy. His many contributions to the field of Jewish literature include: Of God, the Devil and the Jews; The Jew and the Cross; Concise Dictionary of Judaism; and Lost Legends of Israel.
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