Norman Kemp Smith
British philosopher (1872–1958)
Norman Kemp Smith (born Norman Duncan Smith; 5 May 1872 – 3 September 1958) was a Scottish philosopher who was Professor of Psychology (1906–1914) and Philosophy (1914–1919) at Princeton University and was Professor of Logic and Metaphysics at the University of Edinburgh (1919–1945).
Smith is noted for his 1929 English translation of Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, which for a long time was considered the standard version.
Early life and education
Norman Smith was born on 5 May 1872 in Dundee, Scotland, the son of a cabinet-maker on the Nethergate. He was educated in Dundee and then studied mental philosophy at the University of St Andrews, graduating with an MA with first-class honours in 1893. He received his doctorate (PhD) in 1902.
Career
Smith lectured in philosophy and psychology at Princeton University from 1906 to 1916, and at the University of Edinburgh from 1919 until his retirement in 1945. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1921. His proposers were Ralph Allan Sampson, Thomas John Jehu, Charles Glover Barkla and Charles Sarolea. In 1932 he delivered the Adamson Lecture of the Victoria University of Manchester.
In 1938 he moved to 14 Kilgraston Road in south Edinburgh, a house designed by Sir Robert Matthew.
“Norman Kemp Smith” enters the record as british philosopher (1872–1958). Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Norman, Kemp and Smith can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 8, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3394805. VIAF identifies the subject as 51772529. The Library of Congress control number is n81063044. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1872, 1958, 1906 and 1914.
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