 He was elected a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge with a dissertation on scientific method, but shortly afterwards moved to the University of Manchester, where he was appointed lecturer in biological chemistry in 1922 and lecturer in physiological chemistry in 1924.From 1937 to 1945 he held the Sir Samuel Hall chair as Professor of Philosophy at Manchester University.In 1945 he moved to the University of Edinburgh as Professor of Logic and Metaphysics.