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despotism

(Encyclopedia)despotism, government by an absolute ruler unchecked by effective constitutional limits to his power. In Greek usage, a despot was ruler of a household and master of its slaves. The title was applied ...

Pound, Roscoe

(Encyclopedia)Pound, Roscoe, 1870–1964, American jurist, b. Lincoln, Nebr. He studied (1889–90) at Harvard law school, but never received a law degree. Pound was a prominent botanist as well as a jurist, and sp...

Parsons, Talcott

(Encyclopedia)Parsons, Talcott, 1902–79, American sociologist, b. Colorado Springs, Colo., educated at Amherst College (B.A., 1924), London School of Economics, and Univ. of Heidelberg (Ph.D., 1927). He was on th...

Hildreth, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Hildreth, Richard hĭlˈdrəth [key], 1807–65, American historian, b. Deerfield, Mass. From 1832 to 1838 he was the leading editorial writer for the Boston Daily Atlas. In addition to writing contro...

Edwards, Jonathan, 1745–1801, American theologian

(Encyclopedia)Edwards, Jonathan, the younger, 1745–1801, American theologian, b. Northampton, Mass., grad. College of New Jersey (now Princeton), 1765; son of Jonathan Edwards (1703–58). His career in some ways...

Harris, Marvin

(Encyclopedia)Harris, Marvin, 1927–2001, American anthropologist, b. New York City, grad. Columbia (A.B., 1949; Ph.D., 1953). A member of the faculty of Columbia (1952–80), he was chairman of the anthropology d...

Weierstrass, Karl Wilhelm Theodor

(Encyclopedia)Weierstrass, Karl Wilhelm Theodor kärl vĭlˈhĕlm tāˈōdōr vīˈərshträs [key], 1815–97, German mathematician. From 1864 he was professor of mathematics at the Univ. of Berlin. His developmen...

Werner, Abraham Gottlob

(Encyclopedia)Werner, Abraham Gottlob äˈbrähäm gôtˈlōp vĕrˈnər [key], 1750–1817, German geologist. In 1775 he became inspector and teacher in the mining academy at Freiberg, which through his efforts be...

Marcus, Rudolph Arthur

(Encyclopedia)Marcus, Rudolph Arthur, 1923–, American chemist, b. Montreal, Canada. A professor at the California Institute of Technology, he was awarded the 1992 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing a theory ...

atonement

(Encyclopedia)atonement, the reconciliation, or “at-one-ment,” of sinful humanity with God. In Judaism both the Bible and rabbinical thought reflect the belief that God's chosen people must be pure to remain in...