A retired Haverford College philosophy professor recognized for his contributions to the study of Plato as well as Aristotle’s ethics and metaphysics, has died, writes Harold Brubaker for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Aryeh Kosman of Haverford was 85.

 “He was the most remarkable teacher,” said Jim Friedman, a 1967 Haverford graduate who spent the last 15 years regularly reading and discussing philosophy with Dr. Kosman. “Haverford’s a place — was and still is — with a lot of remarkable teachers. He stood out. He was just the most wonderful human being. It’s a huge loss.”

His work was a brilliant combination of careful analysis and imaginative overview, said David Charles, a Yale University philosophy professor.

His work captured the most difficult and elusive aspects of Plato’s and Aristotle’s thoughts that made them accessible to a wider philosophical audience, Charles said.

Dr. Kosman joined Haverford’s faculty in 1962 with a Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard University.

He was part of a 1966 Esquire magazine article on “Super-Profs” offering new vitality to American colleges, participating in campus protests against the Vietnam War.

Dr. Kosman retired in 2010 but kept writing and lecturing.

Read more at The Philadelphia Inquirer about the life of Aryeh Kosman.