Philosopher A Kind Of Life

by Ted Honderich

The story of Ted Honderich, philosopher, a story of a perilous philosophical life, marked by critical examination, and a compelling personal life full of human drama. This is the story of Ted Honderich's perilous progress from boyhood in Canada to the Grote Professorship of Mind and Logic at University College London, A. J. Ayer's chair. It is compelling, candid and revealing about the beginning and the goal, and everything in early work as a journalist on The Toronto Star, travels with Elvis Presley, arrival in Britain, loves and friendships, academic rivalries and battles, marriages and affairs, self-interest and empathy. It sets out resolutely to explain how and why it all happened. It is as much a narrative of Ted Honderich's philosophy. He makes hard problems real. Philosophy from consciousness and determinism to political violence and democracy comes into sharp focus. Along the way, questions keep coming up. Does the free marriage owe anything to the analytic philosophy? What are the costs of truth? Are the politics of England slowly making it an ever-better place? Is an action's rightness independent of the mixture of motives out of which it came?

Genres: Philosophy

Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

About the author

Edgar Dawn Ross "Ted" Honderich was a Canadian-born British philosopher, who was Grote Professor Emeritus of the Philosophy of Mind and Logic, University College London.

Reviews

[Muaz Jalil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was slightly put off by the writing style: too much passive voice and in the third person. The book felt like one written by a successful Wall Street Banker but happens to be about philosophy rather than banking.

His coercion of force vs coercion of persuasion and democratic violence was interesting. Violence can sometimes improve the situation and use counterfactual analysis. His book on conservatism and terrorism might be interesting. He was taught by Ayer, and Bernard Williams among others. Also, he was originally from Canada.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Some parts were good. Kept talking about getting that position as a chair of philosophy. God. And having his own nice office. Ivory Towers big time here.

[Doug · Rating 1 out of 5]

The personal may be the political, but the personal is not always interesting.

Someone failed to duly alert the author, however.