1928 – 2019
Herbert Hochberg was an American analytic philosopher associated with the Iowa School of ontology, working primarily in metaphysics, philosophy of logic, and the foundations of language. A student of Gustav Bergmann, he developed rigorous analyses of facts, universals, and the structure of states of affairs. His work critically engaged with trope theory, truthmakers for negative truths, and the logical atomism of Russell and early Wittgenstein.
Developed sustained critiques of trope theory, arguing it fails to adequately ground relational predication
Advanced ontological analysis of facts and states of affairs in the tradition of Bergmann's logical realism
Contributed to debates on negative truths and truthmaker theory
Produced detailed interpretive work on Russell's and early Wittgenstein's logical atomism
Defended a realist ontology of universals and particulars against nominalist alternatives
The lack of informativeness is not a good objection to the optimalist account of negative truths